


Running Out Of Time

by Darkshines1984



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-22
Updated: 2014-08-28
Packaged: 2018-01-26 04:23:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 93,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1674578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkshines1984/pseuds/Darkshines1984
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My take on how the end of season 3/beginning of season 4 could go. Emma must follow Zelena to the Enchanted Forest of the past to preserve her and her family’s future but can she save an ailing Regina in the process? Adventure/Drama story. </p>
<p>WARNING! It starts with a bit of OQ and there is a lot of Hook and Emma interaction and very little Regina and Emma interaction because of the nature of the plot. It is however a Swan Queen story through and through so if you are a Captain Swan fan then I would keep away as I don’t want any annoying hate reviews just because you don’t like the ‘ship. Consider yourselves warned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Storybrooke - Regina’s POV**

The night lights outside of Granny’s twinkled and lit up the area outside the diner surprisingly well. The whole town seemed to be inside the diner celebrating the rather impromptu marriage of Arial and Eric. Regina couldn’t understand why anyone would chose to get married when there was a wicked witch roaming around trying to ruin everyone’s lives. Well, Zelena was trying to ruin her life anyway but was certainly making everyone else miserable in the process. Despite her own doubts about having a major celebration at such a time Regina had been inside trying to enjoy the party too until Robin had asked her to come outside.

At first his cute little son Roland had been with them but one of Robin’s Merry Men or whatever ridiculous name they called themselves had taken Roland back to the forest with them leaving Regina and Robin alone. It left the two of them stood in awkward silence.

The former outlaw was silently gazing at her and she had no idea what to say or do. Relationships were not her strong point, nor where emotions and she had no idea of how to talk or act around this man who was supposed to be her soul mate. When they had interacted in the past he had been the one to initiate the conversation. Tonight there was a strange tension she’d not felt in his presence before.

Just as she was about to try and speak to him the door of the diner opened and Hook came storming past, his leather jacket flying behind him and slapping Regina’s legs as he pushed between the two of them like they were not even stood there. Something had pissed the Pirate off but he was gone as fast as he came leaving Regina still stood awkwardly with the man with the lion tattoo.

“Is everything alright?” she finally asked; weary of the long silence that had fallen between them.

He smiled weakly in response before leaning in and pressing his lips against hers. The action surprised her but she stayed still, leaning into the kiss slightly. It was nice. Not earth shattering but it felt pleasant to feel somebody against her. After a few seconds he pulled away and looked at her again, his expression unreadable.

“You are not who I thought you’d be” he said darkly. His expression went from unreadable to a swirl of emotion that Regina couldn’t hope to understand. She just knew that something really didn’t feel right.

“I’m sorry” he continued, “I truly am sorry but I had to do this.”

Regina eyed him with suspicion as he spoke. There was guilt written all over his features but also a steely determination to see whatever he was doing through. She felt sick to the pit of her stomach as all the pieces began to fit into place.

“Do what?” she asked him even though she was sure she already knew the answer.

“I gave your heart to Zelena” he answered honestly, looking away from her as he spoke. “She is going to bring back my wife. My son needs his mother.”

Regina scoffed at his words. She wanted to shout at him and scythe him down with sharp words about how she had a son too. She wanted to tell him that no one could bring his wife back from the dead; magic just didn’t work that way. If anyone knew that it was her. She had spent years trying to find a way to reunite herself with Daniel. There was little point telling him these things or arguing with him when the handover had already been made.  

“Was that the plan all along? Is that why you followed me everywhere?”

Regina wished she didn’t care that he had led her on. She wished she didn’t care about him. She had been starved of romantic love for so long though that she had instantly fallen for the idea of him. He had given her the attention she had craved ever since that fateful night her mother had ripped Daniel’s heart out of his chest and crushed it.

“Yes” he admitted, guilt lacing his voice for the first time during the conversation. “I delayed giving it to her because you really are so much more than the Evil Queen you were painted out to be. But in the end...I like you Regina...but I love my wife.”

It was tempting to curse him into next week but she saw the truth in his eyes and in his words. It was hard for her of all people to criticize someone for acting selfishly and she didn’t feel like she had much fight in her. If Zelena had her heart it was over. When the witch cast whatever curse or spell she was planning Regina would more than likely be dead.

Robin shifted uncomfortably before her and reached into his pocket. When he brought it out of the pocket he was holding a glass vial that he held out towards her. She gazed down on it and recognised its contents immediately. It contained one of her hairpins from the Enchanted Forest, broken and with a drop of liquid hanging at its tip. It felt familiar like she should remember something about it. What she did know was that the liquid was sleeping potion. She’d recognise it’s hue anywhere. 

“How do you...?” she began to ask but Robin cut her off.

“Zelena took it from you whilst we were at your castle in the Enchanted Forest” he explained. She cringed at his words because it meant that he still had his memories. He really had fooled her.

“I’m a pick pocket remember?” he continued and he placed the vial into her hand. “I thought it may spare you whatever pain she may have planned for you.”

Regina closed her hand around the vial and stepped back and away from him until her back hit the dinners white picket fence. Was this the kind of ‘care’ she deserved? The man she believed to be her soul mate had turned out to be the enemy. He had turned out to be a fraud and had betrayed her. Yet apparently he cared enough about her to not only tell her what he had done but feel guilty enough to give her an easy way out. Perhaps that was deception too, more lies to push her down onto her knees and submit to her fate.

Robin, who had been avoiding her gaze, looked at her one last time before walking away. She watched him go; waiting till he was finally out of sight before letting her walls crumble. She slid down the fence and sat on the floor still grasping the vial. She had spent her whole life feeling alone but never more so in this moment when whatever hopes she had of that solitude ending had been so cruelly dashed. How could she have been so stupid as to just follow the fairy dust blindly? She had let her hopes rule her head and put her faith in a man she did not know all on the evidence of a tattoo.  Her mother would have enjoyed this moment had she still been alive. In this moment love, or Regina’s own starvation for it, really had been weakness.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke - Emma’s POV**

 

“Hook why an earth would you think that I would want to marry you?!” Emma growled, desperately trying to keep her voice down so no one else at the party could hear her. When the Pirate had pulled her into the quietest corner of Granny’s to ‘talk’ she had expected him to proposition her yet again but she really didn’t expect him to produce a ring from his coat pocket.

“Swan I know you are still mourning the loss of Baelfire but you and I could be happy” he tried to reason with her, holding the diamond ring between them like he still thought she may take it. The blond looked around the room desperately hoping nobody else was paying too much attention to them.

“For god’s sake this isn’t just about Neal it’s about me” she tried to explain to the infuriatingly eager looking man. “I’ve been ignoring your advances because we are not meant to be together.”

His face fell but he still stood his ground holding out the ring. Emma felt sorry for him because he really was trying to be a good man for her. She genuinely didn’t want to hurt him but this had now gone on too far. It had been fun when he was just giving her a lot of attention but she could not and would not marry him or even date him. It was her fault for allowing his infatuation to continue because it flattered her. Now she had to fix it.

“Hook you are a nice guy...when you want to be...and I admit I think you are good looking but I don’t want to be with you in that way. No matter how much you try to prove you are father material or whatever else it is you are trying to prove I just can’t picture us together.”

Finally he dropped his hand away and placed the ring back in his pocket. He went to turn away but then stopped himself, his face now full of anger.

“So all I am good for is helping to fight your battles and babysitting?” he snapped at her.

Guilt hit her hard again because he was right; she had used him and treated him appallingly. He had a good heart despite his dubious record and she was fond of him and even a little attracted to him. She was also grateful for helping them rescue Henry from Pan. Hook was aware of all those things so it was hard to explain to him why they could never be anything more.

“No” she tried to protest, “I want to be your friend.”

He snorted with a mixture of laughter and frustration. It probably was the last thing he wanted to hear from her right now but she hoped that after the disappointment had settled he would accept her as a friend too. For now though he was too angry to reason with and he turned away and started to storm out of the diner.

“Hook” she called after him, ignoring the looks she got from her parents and other guests.

She followed him to the door but once she reached the doorway she decided to let him be. He had stormed off into the night and it would do him some good to cool down. She was about to head back into the diner when she saw two figures stood on the pavement just outside the diner. One was the distinctive figure of Regina. Even with her back to the diner Emma could recognise Regina anywhere. The other person was taller, a man, but Emma couldn’t quite make out who it was because he was stood in the shadow of the archway. Just as Emma was getting really curious the man stepped into the light and kissed Regina. It was Robin Hood.  She should have guessed really as the outlaw had been keen on the brunette for days.

 Emma knew she should probably go back into the diner and leave them to it but instead she found herself frozen on the spot. It was surprising to see Regina lower her walls enough to allow someone to kiss her and it made Emma feel odd and uncomfortable. If it had been anyone else then she’d have described the feeling as jealousy but she would not feel that way about Regina. It just wasn’t sensible to have any sort of romantic feelings for Henry’s other mother.

The kiss was brief and led to a hushed and awkward looking conversation that Emma had no chance of hearing. The blond didn’t need to hear what was going on to know that something was wrong. Regina’s body language was all wrong. The brunette’s shoulders were low and her normally rigid and perfect posture was slumped. Robin handed her some sort of bottle which piqued Emma’s attention even more. She was itching to go over to the pair but she resisted.

After a few more seconds Robin walked away and Regina slid down the fence and out of sight. Emma’s heart suddenly pounded in her chest, unsure of what was going on and very suspicious she dashed out of the diner and to the pavement. Regina was sat on the floor grasping the small bottle, eyes closed but with tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Regina” Emma called out her name softly as she approached. She stood over the brunette and Regina looked up at her, tears streaming down her face.

“Em...Emma?” the brunette chocked out.

The only time Emma had ever seen Regina cry was when they thought they had lost Henry after the sleeping curse. If the brunette was crying then something terrible was happening because as little love as Regina had experienced Emma was sure she wouldn’t just cry over a man.

“What the hell happened?” Emma asked as she slid down the fence and sat next to the brunette. Regina wiped at her tears with the sleeves of her jacket which was both undignified for such an elegant woman but also ineffectual as her jacket was made of leather. 

“Robin gave my heart to Zelena” Regina explained. “She has everything she needs to complete whatever evil deed she is planning on.”

“How did Robin get your heart?” Emma asked instantly. It wasn’t till she saw the pitiful look on the brunette’s face that she guessed the answer. “Is that were you hid your heart?! With a stranger?!!!!”

Regina gave up trying to wipe the tears away and instead buried her face into her gloved hands, muffling a strangled sob. Emma raised her own hands to cover her mouth as she struggled to know what to do or say to calm the older woman. Regina’s tears were breaking her heart. 

“He was meant to be my true love” Regina choked out. There was little conviction in the brunette’s voice and it sounded very much to Emma like she found her own words ridiculous.

“What?” Emma asked. Regina and Robin had only known each other for a few days and Emma had seen no signs of Regina being passionately in love. Yes the brunette had seemed flattered and perhaps a bit infatuated by the rugged outlaw but not in love.

“Remember Tink said I was the reason why she lost her wings?” Regina began to tell the tale. “Well not long after I had married the king....your grandfather...she stole fairy dust to find my true love because I was so unhappy. It led us to a tavern and to a man with a lion tattoo on his wrist. I was too scared to go in though and she was punished.”

Three things struck Emma from Regina’s story. Firstly, she had presumed that Regina had done far worse to Tinkerbelle and had said as much whilst in Neverland. Secondly, she had seen Robin Hood’s wrist and she knew he had a very garish lion tattoo. Thirdly, had Regina actually just taken Robin and his tattoo on face value all because of some fairy dust? For starters there could be several men with a lion tattoo on their wrist so he may not have been the man the dust led her too and Regina didn’t seem that trusting or fairy magic or anything or anyone.

“You thought Robin was that man because he has the tattoo” Emma stated; deciding it was better to avoid criticizing Regina when she had already been kicked to the ground. She needed to support the brunette; they were now allies, sort of friends and sort of co-parents even f Henry didn’t remember yet.

“I thought I was getting a second chance at happiness. I should have known better. I’m a villain right? Villains don’t get happy endings.”

Emma had heard that phrase before from both Gold and Regina. The more she heard it the less she believed it especially now she was getting to know and understand the brunette better. Regina deserved a happy ending just as much as the next person and Emma no longer saw her as a villain. She was a woman who had made terrible mistakes and made terrible choices, some due to the manipulation of others and some borne out of hate. The brunette was walking a path of redemption and in that process had been the hero time and again.

“You are not a villain” Emma stated firmly.

Regina turned towards her and the tears that had began to dry up started to flow again. Emma watched as the suffering brunette tried to dab them with her leather sleeves again before taking pity on her. She pulled up the sleeves of her own leather jacket so that the sleeves of her turtle neck jumper were exposed and shuffled in front of the brunette. Emma gently pressed both her sleeved wrists against Regina’s cheeks and the brunette grasped them and guided them against the damp skin without question.

Once the tears had been sufficiently mopped away Regina released Emma’s wrists but rather than pushing the blonde’s arms away she began to roll her jacket sleeves back down. Once that task was completed Regina released Emma’s arms and the blond relaxed against the fence again.

She was shoulder to shoulder with the brunette and as they sat there she felt Regina shift and lean her head against the blonde’s shoulder. This need for physical comfort was out of Regina’s comfort zone and out of Emma’s but the blond risked reaching her arm around Regina’s shoulders. The older woman didn’t flinch and just relaxed even further against Emma’s side. Emma began to draw circles against Regina’s leather clad shoulder and the brunette’s exhaled as some of the tension released from her body. They sat like that for a couple of silent minutes but once the brunette had settled Emma knew they had to get up.       

“We can’t just sit here Regina and we can’t just give up” Emma sighed. “We need to tell the others and we need to act quickly to try and stop Zelena.”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Storybrooke - Snow POV**

Her mother had always told her as a child that life was all about learning and tonight Snow was learning that heavily pregnant women and their husbands found it difficult to slow dance. Charming was having to lean over the baby bump to try and hold her close but the position he was in looked painful. He was persisting though like he did through any problem. It’s why she loved him so much. They were surrounded by other dancers, some couples and some just friends enjoying an evening were the Wicked Witch wasn’t the main focus. Arial and Eric hadn’t stopped dancing since their first slow dance together over an hour before and Snow was delighted for them. 

“I think Emma needs us” her husband suddenly spoke up, straightening up and gesturing with his head towards the door of the diner.  

She followed his eye line to see Emma and Regina lingering just inside the door. The two were actually holding hands but Regina looked so dazed Snow wasn’t entirely sure the brunette was aware of it.

“That doesn’t look promising” snow remarked, her voice giving away her weariness. She was probably having one of the most stressful pregnancies ever known to mankind. She and Charming made their way towards their daughter as did Belle and Tink who had also noticed Emma and Regina’s presence. As they reached the two women Emma and Regina led them all out into the courtyard outside Granny’s were it was quieter.  

“What’s going on?” Charming asked as soon as the noise died down.

“Zelena has Regina’s heart” their daughter replied.

Snow felt like her heart had just dropped in her chest. She could tell something was wrong but she wasn’t expecting anything so terrible and Emma had done little to soften the blow in her delivery of the news.

“Oh god what happened?” she choked out, reaching out for Regina’s free hand and squeezing it. Her former nemesis looked from Snow’s hand in her own to Emma’s hand in her own and looked utterly baffled. Regina wriggled her hands free and stuffed them into her pockets. Apparently even dazed to hell the brunette wasn’t going to stand for that much of a family love in.

“It’s a long story but Robin gave it to her” Emma brushed over her explanation, “apparently he’s more foe than friend.”

Snow was surprised by the news and she knew it would upset and annoy her husband who had spoke to the Outlaw and trusted him. Belle had thought him a good man too and Tink seemed equally as shocked by the revelation. For a few seconds they all remained silent until her husband spoke up.

“This means that Zelena has what she wants” Charming pointed out the obvious.

“Yes but we still don’t know what exactly she plans to do with it” Snow thought out loud. They were presuming she needed Regina’s heart and Charming’s courage for a curse or spell but as of yet they had no idea what kind of magic it could be used for.

“I still haven’t found anything in any of Rumpel’s books but I have barely scratched the surface” Belle admitted. Ever since the Wicked Witch had tried and failed to claim Regina’s heart during their street fight the week before Belle had spent most of her time in Rumpel’s shop trying to find answers.

“I say we don’t wait around to find out” Emma spoke up. There was a steely determination in her daughter’s voice which would normally please Snow but considering the capabilities of their nemesis it was now a little frightening. Not only was Zelena very powerful but she also had control over the dark one and with Regina’s heart in her possession she could now control the Evil Queen should the mood take her.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke - Regina POV**

 

_“I say we don’t wait around to find out.”_

Regina had been stood quietly listening to the other’s discuss the situation in a kind of haze until Emma’s words caught her attention and snapped her out of it.

“What are you suggesting we do?” she asked the determined looking saviour. She had grown much fonder of the blond during their time in Neverland and since she had returned to Storybrooke after the second curse but it didn’t change the fact that Emma was hot headed and occasionally a bit dim. Her new found fondness just meant that it annoyed her less and concerned her more.

“I think you and I need to call in on your sister” Emma replied. The blonde’s tone made it sound like it was the most obvious and simple task in the world. Either Emma was turning into an eternal optimist like her blasted parents or she was suffering from memory loss.

“Did you pay any attention to my last attempt at fighting her?” Regina snapped at the blond, “I got flung through the clock tower.”

The blond was suddenly right in front of Regina and grasping her biceps forcing her to look into the saviour’s eyes.

“That was you” Emma was now speaking to her and only her like everyone else had faded away from them. “I’m talking about OUR magic.”

The blonde’s words reminded Regina of a similar conversation from their time in Neverland when her own sense was being overthrown by her need to rescue their son as quickly as possible. Now the roles were reversed and it was Emma who wasn’t thinking clearly.

“Emma you need to stop and think” she tried to instruct the blond but Emma immediately cut in.

“You might not have time for us to stop and think” the blond snapped; her grip on Regina’s arm becoming almost painful even through the padding of her black leather jacket.

The words rang around Regina’s head and touched her despite the empty cavity in her chest. Emma was concerned about acting fast purely to save her and that touched Regina deeply even without her heart.  She was grateful for Emma’s care and consideration but she had spent years making selfish rash decisions and was now trying to put it right. If anyone was to go face Zelena it would be her and her alone. Henry could not lose both his mother’s, especially as Emma was currently the only mother he remembered.

Decision made Regina pulled back from the blonde’s grasp and moved a step away from the other four onlookers. She was about to transport herself to the Witch’s farm when she felt a sudden tightening in her chest.   The tightening turned into pain and she stumbled backwards and into one of the tables in the courtyard area. She had felt this kind of pain before as a teenager when her mother had reached into her chest and squeezed her heart as punishment for some imaginary misdemeanour.  

“Regina what’s going on?” Snow’s panicked voice cut through the pain.

She was vaguely aware of Emma reaching for her but she stumbled around the table and used it as a blockade between them. After a couple more seconds of agony the tension and pain released and Regina straightened herself. Emma, Snow, Charming, Belle and Tinkerbelle stared at her in a mixture of fear and confusion.

“Regina are you okay?” Emma asked. The saviour began to move again but she raised her hand and gestured for her to stop. For once the blond obeyed.

She could feel magic swelling inside of her, constricting her and rushing through every nerve and every blood vessel. It was something she had never personally experienced but she was familiar with the magic having performed it herself more times than she liked to recount. Zelena was trying to take control of her.

“No” she gasped, desperately trying to fight the feeling even though she knew it would be in vein. She could not be used to hurt the people she sort of cared about; she had to find a way to prevent it.  It was then she remembered the vial Robin had given her. Reaching into her jacket pocked she removed the vial and popped the cork out of it. All the while she felt like she battling against her own mind and body.

“Regina what is that? What are you doing?” Emma gasped out. The blond rounded the table towards her and this time Regina didn’t bother to stop her. 

“Sleeping curse” Regina explained as she tipped the glass vial and grasped the un-cursed end of the hairpin. “I won’t be used against you.”

“Regina please...” Emma’s voice is breathless and it reminds the brunette of the moment in the mines over a year ago. They seemed destined to keep on having to say goodbye.

Another surge of magic courses through her and she can feel her control slipping. The brunette allows the glass vial to drop and shatter between herself and the saviour and as she looks into Emma’s eyes she sees a look of understanding. Regina knows that when magic surges inside her then her eyes spark purple and that is what the blond is now witnessing.

“Emma I’m sorry” she pleads; apologising for leaving the blond alone to face Zelena, for making such an error in judgement...for the hurt in Emma’s eyes.

The blonde’s arms are around her suddenly, holding her tight. Regina understands the meaning behind the embrace. She is not alone. Reaching both arms around the blonde’s back she pricks her forefinger with the cursed end of the hairpin. Instantly she feels the world swim around her and begin to fade but she feels safe and warm in the blonde’s embrace. The last words she hears before her world goes totally black are Emma’s.

“I will save you.”

Warm lips press against her temple and then nothing.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke - Emma’s POV**

 

It had all happened so quickly that she hadn’t really had time to process what was going on. In the end all she could do was hold on to former Evil Queen and offer her some sort of comfort as the sleeping curse took effect. Now she was sat on the floor with the unconscious woman in her arms and she was awash with too much emotion to control or comprehend. Despite everything that had happened between them when she first arrived in Storybrooke they had become friends and allies. They had become co-parents and family. She had already lost Neal, her first love, and the swirl of emotion made Emma feel like her heart was breaking all over again.

“Emma” Snow called out to her as she clung onto Regina’s limp form. When she didn’t respond her mother called her name again but this time louder than before. “EMMA!”

“I’m going to kill her” Emma growled, flicking her wrist in frustration towards the nearest chair and setting it magically alight. The four people stood watching her jumped in shock. She knew it wasn’t what her parents wanted to hear or see from her but she didn’t care. She was angry and she was damn well going to sink the Wicked Witch. She was about to try and get to her feet when she heard a familiar but shaky voice from behind her.

“Mom....what’s going on?”

She swivelled around, still holding Regina, and looked in the direction of the voice. Her son was stood in the shadowed corner of the courtyard nearer the door. Emma had no idea how long he had been out there or what he had heard or seen.

“Oh god Henry” she gasped, “what are you doing out here?”

“I wanted to find out what you were hiding from me so I snuck out after you” Henry admitted as he stepped into the light and closer to the group. His voice was full of fear and panic. “The Mayor said that needle was a sleeping curse and now she looks dead...and you just set a chair on fire...I don’t understand.”

Emma glanced from the burning wooden chair to Henry and sighed in defeat. She had tried to shield him from all of Storybrooke crap whilst he had no memories of his previous life here but there was no logical way to explain all he had just seen and heard. How the hell was she going to tell him without looking totally insane?

“Henry I have to go deal with someone and then I will tell you everything” she tried to reason with her panicking son.

“No I want to know now” He raised his voice to her and shook his head vehemently. Emma knew that look; he wasn’t going to back down. She had no idea how do deal with the situation that had arisen and every second she stayed outside Granny’s was another second Zelena could be enacting her evil plans.

“Emma we will go after her but you need to take a deep breath and calm down” Charming said as knelt down beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Her mother went and stood by Henry, reaching out for him in the same way.

“No I really don’t” Emma sniped, shrugging her shoulder away from his grasp. Within a second he had placed his hand back on her shoulder again and laid his other on Regina’s still arm.

“Take your mother, Henry and Regina back to the apartment where they will be safe and explain this all to your son” her father instructed gently. “Tink, Belle and I will go round up as much help as possible and we’ll meet you at the farm in forty minutes.”

She could see the Ernst look Charming’s eyes. He thought this was the most sensible plan and he would try to enforce it upon her if he had too. For now he was trying to reason with her. Although Emma didn’t want to wait and she doubted anyone could help her defeat Zelena other than the unconscious woman still in her arms she nodded her accent to his plan. Thirty minutes wasn’t long but in that time she could at least get Henry and her mother to safety and say goodbye in case it went badly.

Emma scooped the unconscious Mayor further into her arms and stood up, struggling to get her balance and lift the woman all in one go. It took a lot of effort but she succeeded. Charming stepped towards her but she shook her head, determined to carry the brunette to the bug herself.

“Do you want me to find someone to help...” her father offered; but she shook of his attempts at helping her again.

“I’ve got her” she replied firmly.

The blond started to walk slowly towards her bug which was parked across the street with Snow and Henry on her heels.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Storybrooke - Charming POV**

The pickup truck roared to a halt and David leapt out, not even bothering to stop it in his rush to round up useful allies. He had sent Tink back into the party to round up the dwarves, Ruby, Granny and anyone else willing to help. Belle had gone straight to the shop to collect any potions, spells or magical objects that could help them in their fight against Zelena.

His task would be a little more awkward as he had not failed to notice the awkward exchange between Emma and Hook in the diner. The Pirate had become an ally and even a friend after their time in Neverland but as much as he tried David could never picture Hook and his daughter having a long term future. So Emma’s earlier rebuttal was no surprise to her father but he pitied the Pirate because he obviously did love her.

David virtually jogged down the pier until he found the fishing boat the Pirate had taken residence upon since returning to Storybrooke.

“Hook!” he yelled at the top of his voice.

There was a few scuffling and banging sounds before a long leather coat and its owner swept onto the deck with hip flask in hand. David groaned at the man’s tipsy appearance. He should have guessed the Pirate would turn to his friend rum after having his heart broken.

“Charming!” the Pirate greeted, waving his hook dramatically, “to what do I the pleasure?”

“How drunk are you?” David cut straight to the point causing Hook to quirk his eyebrows in amusement.

“On what scale are we measuring it mate?” the Pirate asked as he made his way over to the edge of the vessel and stared down at David.

“Can you fight?” the Prince asked. This time his question drew a light laugh from the Captain like he had asked a ridiculous question.

“I can always fight” Hook replied smoothly, “just point me in the direction you want me to do battle in.”

Apparently the Pirate may feel down but he wasn’t about to lose his swagger. David couldn’t wait to put his confidence to the test.

“Zelena’s direction” the Prince said casually. His words drew a flicker of a reaction from Hook but the mask of indifference was quickly placed back up again.

“I thought tonight was party night” Hook enquired in his usual light hearted manner. “To what do we owe this midnight raid?”

“Zelena has gotten hold of Regina’s heart and Emma wants it back before the Witch has a chance to use it” David explained. He still had no idea how Robin had found or gotten hold of Regina’s heart but right now it wasn’t the most important issue.

“Ah so I’m to fight at your fair daughter’s side” Hook replied, sarcasm and hurt creeping into his voice.

“Is that a problem?” David asked the Pirate. He had expected the conversation to be awkward but he felt like he knew Hook well enough and that the man would still fight alongside them.

“No problem mate” Hook clarified. “I am well aware that is all the use she has for me but me and the Witch...well I have an axe to grind with her anyway after she rather rudely cursed these fine lips of mine.”  

David felt another pang of guilt for his friend as the Pirate climbed down of the fishing boat and onto the pier so he was standing next to David. Hook’s expression was now very serious as he addressed the Prince again.

“I should point out though that our reformed Evil Queen can no longer be relied upon...” he stated.

“Regina put herself under a sleeping curse” David cut in. Regina had been the bane of his wife’s existence in the Enchanted Forest her days as the Evil Queen were now in the past. She had put up a protection spell at their home and finally become part of the family. It was hurting them all that she was now in grave danger and possibly trapped in the sleeping curse forever even if they did rescue her heart.

“Clever girl” Hook remarked. “Isn’t redemption is an interesting thing...I mean look were all this selflessness gets us.”

David watched the pirate notion towards his bottle of rum before cackling slightly manically and stuffing the bottle back in his coat pocket. Hook drew his sword and skilfully spun it around his hand a couple of times.

“As for my state of inebriation” he quipped, “I’m more sober now than I ever was in my buccaneering days.”

“Then let’s hurry” David replied, “because we have fifteen minutes to get to the farm and meet up with Emma.”

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Storybrooke - Emma’s POV**

 

Henry had remained silent for the short drive home and even managed to wait patiently whilst Emma struggled up the stairs with Regina and placed the brunette on her parent’s bed. Emma had removed the woman’s scalf, gloves, jacket and shoes and covered her with the floral throw from Snow’s bed. The second she walked back over to the kitchen counter where Henry stood her son started asking questions.

“What’s wrong with her?” he asked, glancing around the staircase at the still form of the women he only currently knew as the Mayor of Storybrooke.

“She’s under a sleeping curse” Emma replied honestly, “it’s basically a magic potion.”

“Magic...I don’t understand” Henry’s voice wavered as he tried to make sense of her words. No twelve year old boy’s believed in magic especially not ones who had memories of being brought up in bustling cities like Boston and New York.

The blond looked to Snow for some kind of help but her mother looked as lost for words as she did. It was then that she saw the Once Upon A Time book on the counter and remembered that Regina had given it to him at the diner one morning in the hope it might trigger his memories.

“This book Regina gave you, have you read any of it” she asked her son as she walked over to the side table and picked the book up.

“Yeah I’m about half way through...” he replied, his voice full of confusion at the strange turn in conversation.

“These stories...they are not fairytales Henry they are real” Emma got straight to the point. She opened the book on a random page and placed it down on the kitchen counter in front of him. The picture was that of the Summer Palace by the lake in the Enchanted Forest.

“What?” Henry mumbled; confusion and fear written all over his features.  “Mom what are you talking about?”

Emma could tell that he thought she was going or already gone mad. For someone who was meant to have the heart of the truest believer this was proving difficult. Regina had really done a number on him when she gave him his new memories.

“The stories are real and because of a curse everyone was transported from their world to ours and they are in this town” Emma tried to explain as quickly and as simply as possible.

She turned the pages of the book until she found one with a close up picture of her parents on their wedding day.

“Mary Margaret is Snow White...my mother” Emma pointed to the picture as she spoke hoping her son would see the resemblance of the woman stood with them to the illustration. “David is Prince Charming...my father.”

She flicked several pages further on until she found the one about her birth. There was an illustration of her father carrying her in one arm and defending her with a sword in the other.

“...and I’m this baby here” she continued her explanation. “I grew up without my parents Henry because they sent me through a magic wardrobe so I could break the curse.”

“Mom this is crazy” he stuttered as he stepped away from the counter and the book.

“I know...that’s what I told you when you came and found me on my 28th birthday but it is real Henry.”

Emma couldn’t hold back the awkward laughter as she spoke, knowing now how her son must have felt during that long period she doubted him for. 

“What do you mean I found you?” Henry ignored her laughter and focused in on what would be the hardest part of all to explain. She heard Snow take a deep breath and the two women shared a knowing look. This was going to rock Henry’s world in the worst possible way but Emma owed it to him, Regina and the departed Neal to be honest now.

“Your memories are false” she admitted, “you and I were given false memories when we had to leave here because of a new curse. Hook brought a potion to New York that allowed me to regain mine but there was only enough for one person.”

Henry leant against the kitchen counter behind him and stared blankly at her as she spoke. Snow had edged closer to him so she was now stood a couple of feet away and was leaning on the same counter.

“You were bought up here” Emma continued, “I didn’t keep you because I wanted to give you your best shot. That wasn’t me Henry...I was seventeen and in prison.  You were adopted by Regina and she brought you up until you found me when you were ten years old.”

“You gave me up?” her son chocked out. The hurt and the pain in his eyes were matched by the disbelief as he struggled to take in and understand what she was saying to him. She could tell that he was starting to take on board the fact she was telling the truth because why the hell would anyone lie about a thing like that right?

“I’m so sorry Henry” she struggled through her next words, a single tear rolling down her cheek. “I never wanted you to find out like this. If we couldn’t reverse your memories I was going to take you back to New York.”

Henry took a step forward and reached out for her hand. His eyes scanned hers for any hint that this was all somehow a joke and when he found none he nodded solemnly, accepting her words as the truth. He looked back down to the book again and placed his free hand on the illustration of her as a baby.

“Did I know my father?” he asked his brow furrowing. Emma could see the cogs turning in his mind as he put together the pieces and realised he way have just helped bury a person he actually knew and cared about once; someone he never got to say a proper goodbye to.

“For a short time yes” Emma admitted. She squeezed his hand to offer him some comfort and he nodded again with an expression that was hard to read.

“Who was he?” Henry asked, gazing down at the book again. Emma reached out and began to turn the pages, looking for Rumpelstiltskin’s story. Eventually she found the chapter she was looking for and settled on a picture of Bae with the Blue Fairy.

“This was your father as a boy” she pointed to the picture; “his name in that world was Baelfire.”

Henry released her hand and turned back to the beginning of the chapter. Obviously he intended to read about Neal and she was glad of that. Perhaps Snow could help him understand a bit more about their world and answer some of his questions whilst Emma was gone.

“I have to go kid” she sighed. He allowed her to pull him into a tight hug and she dropped a kiss onto the top of his head. She picked up her car keys of the counter and began to head towards the door.

 “Wait” Henry suddenly called her back, “you said the Mayor brought me up so she is like my mom too?”

Emma turned to face him again. She could see Mar Margaret looking pensive over his shoulder. This was an awkward topic too considering the perilous position Regina was currently in. There was a real chance could lose another parent he had no current memories of.

“Yes...very much so” Emma informed him, “she had to give you up when the curse came to save the lives of everyone else. Magic has a price and that was the price she had to pay.”

“Who is she?”  Henry looked at the book again and began to flick through the pages as he spoke again.

 “She’s Regina” Emma responded awkwardly. The information in the book about Regina was outdated and one sided at best.

“No I mean who is she in this book” Henry pressed.

Emma paused and stared at him. In this moment she wanted to lie to him to protect him and to protect the cursed woman lying at the back of the room. The blond remembered how badly the ten year old had thought of his mother despite her love for him because of the words in that book. She also remembered his reaction when he found out she had lied about his father. Honesty was the only policy when it came to Henry.

“She was once the Evil Queen.”

Henry’s face fell as he turned the page of his book on cue to find a picture of Regina in full black Evil Queen garb looking menacing and well...evil. He looked up at Emma and then back at the unconscious woman lying only metres away from him.

“Once Henry....she was once the Evil Queen” Emma repeated the words hoping he understood their meaning. She was hoping that a twelve year old boy could understand that someone could in fact have a terrible history but also change and redeem themselves. 

Emma felt warm tears running down her cheeks as all of the evenings events hit home so she turned away from her son so he didn’t see her pain and left. She prayed that she could be the saviour everyone expected her to be, save the day and return home to him.


	4. Chapter 4

 

**Chapter 4**

**Storybrooke - Emma POV**

David had messaged Emma to tell her they were meeting on the main road by the turn off to the farm. The drive only took Emma ten minutes and she arrived just after Belle, Ruby, Tinkerbelle, Granny, Archie, Marco and the Dwarves but there was no sight of David’s pickup truck. She had been surprised to see Archie and Marco there as they were not really fighters but both had always supported her and her parents.

“Hey where is David?” she asked as she climbed out of her yellow bug. On her passenger seat laid two sets of gloves; her black set and Regina’s red. They had obviously fallen out of Regina’s pocket during the drive to the apartment. Emma picked up the brunette’s gloves instead of her own and put them on hoping that they would help remind her why she was there no matter how badly the fight may start to go.

“On his way with Hook” Ruby replied.

On cue there was a faint roar of an engine and the headlights of David’s orange truck appeared from around the corner. Emma wasn’t surprised her father had enlisted Killian as the Pirate was handy (pardon the pun) in a fight. It was ironic that after he had declared it his only use to her less than an hour before he was being called upon to fight at her side again. Ironic and a bit cruel.

The pickup truck pulled up alongside them and the two men climbed out. Both had their swords with them and David like Emma carried a gun.

 “Swan” Hook greeted politely, dipping his head in a pitiful way as he spoke. 

“Hey” she returned the greeting as the two came to a halt before the group of mismatches allies.

“Well this isn’t much of an army” Hook quipped as he cast his eye over the people in front of him. His eyes finally stopped at Ruby who was armed with one of Granny’s many crossbows. “Pity it’s not a full moon or you’d have been rather useful love.”

Emma rolled her eyes at him just as Ruby pulled an unimpressed face. It may not have been apparent as he climbed out the truck but now he was stood quite close to her she could tell he had been drinking.  She could smell it on his breath as he spoke.

“I have dynamite” Marco cut into her thoughts, “thought I might be able to cause a rather large distraction.”

“I brought some potions from the shop that may help” Belle added, removing a vial of orange glowing liquid from the satchel she was carrying. “If this explodes next to someone it will bind them. I don’t think it will last long on someone so powerful but it should allow me to take Rumpel out of the equation for at least a few seconds.”

It was a few seconds more than Emma expected to have where she only had to deal with the Wicked Witch so she was grateful for Belle’s actions. The blond hoped they could achieve this without Rumpel getting hurt so Neal’s sacrifice would not be in vein. It was not lost on Emma that she was about to fight a battle with her son’s grandfather and her own half aunt. That had been a shocking revelation when it came; Emma had been convinced Snow would go into labour due to the shock at having a bright green half sister.

In her mind Emma assigned jobs to everyone present. They all looked to her as the saviour and their leader so she would lead.

“Okay so I have a vague plan” Emma informed the group. “Belle you focus on slowing Rumpel down. Ruby, Granny, Tink and the Dwarves you need to try and keep any flying monkeys at bay. I’m going to take on Zelena.”

“And we...?” Charming cut in; gesturing with his sword between himself and the Pirate.

“You and Hook need to try and get Rumpel’s dagger away from Zelena when I distract her” Emma explained. “Archie and Marco can help with that by blowing up the shed. An explosion may just draw her attention long enough for one of us to succeed.”

She knew she was asking a lot of her father and Hook as they had no magic to protect themselves with and they would be helping her deal with a Witch. They had both willing thrown themselves into similar kinds of danger before and she didn’t doubt that they would willingly now.

When nobody disagreed with any part of her plan and both her father and Killian nodded their accent she turned towards the Farm, torch in hand and began the short walk down the access road which led to the buildings driveway. Everyone began to follow her and Ruby caught her up and fell into step at the front with her.

“Emma how many magic lessons did you have with Regina?” the waitress asked.

“Four” Emma replied honestly. She glanced across at her brunette friend who cringed at the answer. Emma couldn’t claim to have anything like the control or knowledge of magic that Regina did but she had a lot of power to tap into. If magic is emotion then she was suitably pissed to be able to summon something pretty devastating.

“That is not very many” Ruby stated.

“No” Emma agreed, “not very many at all.”

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke - Charming POV**

 

It was very rare that David found himself fearing for his own safety when he went into battle. His own safety was something he had control over as he knew he was more than capable of holding his own in a fight. He had always found it terrifying going into battle with someone he loved. That person was usually Snow and he had always had enough faith in her abilities as a warrior to allow him to focus on his own fight. He had even gone into battle at Emma’s side before and felt relatively confident. In the past they had a plan or felt like they had the element of surprise or something in their favour. This time they were rushing in on two superior foes with a hobbled together plan, a depleted group of fighters and a fear that it could be the end of their world as they know it if they fail.

Regina had told him one of Emma’s recent lessons that his daughter was the most powerful person she had ever met. She had told him that what she lacked was control and belief in those powers. Emma was not ready to face someone like Zelena but as the saviour it was her birthright to face the Witch anyway. That thought made him more nervous than he had ever been before.

As the tree line finished and the farm came into view Emma sent Archie, Marco and Granny into the edge of the forest to skirt round to the back of the shed’s that were located close to the main farmhouse building. Ruby moved to Belle’s side and the dwarves spread out across the field in front of the farm. As they moved further away it was harder to make out which one was which in the semi dark. Emma remained on the driveway and David and Hook followed behind her. Tink stayed further back on the driveway and used the fairy dust she had brought with her to light up the farmland so it held a strange blue hue. Visibility still wasn’t perfect but it was better than it being pitch black.

“Come out come out” Emma called out as they got within fifty yards of the farmhouse.

The blond stopped and waited for the Witch to come to her. David knew it was a good tactical decision to take her on in the wide open space as they could see any threat coming and there were few objects or buildings to be thrown into.

“Come on Zelena why are you hiding from the amateur?” Emma shouted irritably when there was no immediate response.

His daughter’s words must have hit a nerve because instantly there was a green cloud of smoke only a few metres in front of them and both Rumpel and Zelena appeared on the driveway. The witch was dressed in the same clothing she had wore to her and Regina’s street fight but she also had a black leather satchel bag which hung by her right hip. At her left his was the all important dagger of the Dark One. In her hands she held two glass vials; one with a white liquid and one filled with a black potion.

“Oh look it’s the Saviour” the Witch greeted, “I’m quaking in my ruby slippers.”

Belle edged towards Rumpel with the vial of potion she held concealed in her pocket. Ruby moved with her but kept back to back with her friend, watching out for any flying monkeys that may attack. Belle got within a couple of metres of Rumpelstiltskin and stopped; reaching her hand out to the man she loved. David could see the fear in the other man’s eyes. He was scared he would be made to hurt the only person left that he cared about.

“Give me Regina’s heart” Emma demanded, keeping most of the Witch’s attention on her and only watching Belle out of the corner of her eye.

“Why would I do that?” Zelena asked smoothly. The green witch smiled confidently and shrugged her shoulders dramatically at the blond.

“Give it to me or I’ll take it from you” Emma shot back, her lips twisting upwards in a wry smile. David recognised that look. It was his daughter’s ‘don’t mess with me or I’ll make this ugly look’. He only hoped she could back up her brash confidence with some magical action.

“Really? I doubt that” Zelena dismissed Emma’s threat in a similar tone she had used in the street only a week before when Emma offered to fight her in Regina’s place. “I doubt it so much I will even tell you where it is.”

The Wicked Witch patted the leather satchel with her right hand; her confidence in Emma’s lack of threat not wavering for a moment.

“It’s in here with two other talismans” Zelena continued. “You don’t really seem interested in them though. I’m sure your Queen must be touched by your concern...except she’s not really in a position to care right now is she.”

The laugh that followed the statement was utterly wicked and Hook had to reach out and pull Emma back by her coat to prevent her trying to physically punch the Witch.

“Focus on the magic Swan” Hook muttered into the blonde’s ear before releasing his grasp on her again.

Emma’s anger driven magical energy was palpable in the air around them even though David had no magic and he could feel that his daughter was close to blowing a fuse. For now at least she stood still and waited to make her move. Zelena cold obviously feel the blonde’s magic rising to the surface because she suddenly seemed keen to move the conversation on and stop gloating.

“If I mix these two potions it will activate the spell and there will be nothing you can do to stop me” she informed all those who were gathered there. The Witch held the two potions out in front of her, one in either hand as she spoke.

“You’ll go back in time, why?” Emma asked, eying the potions but still waiting for the right moment to move. David was starting to get itchy about the scenario. He wasn’t comfortable with the lack of action but he trusted his daughter to make the right call.

“Now why would I tell you that” Zelena laughed of Emma’s question. The green Witch glanced towards her companion, the Dark One, and smiled evilly.

“Do the honours Rumpel” she instructed. As she spoke the words she lifted the two glass vials like she was about to smash them together and Emma sprung into life.

“No” called Belle as the librarian reacted at the same time as Emma. She threw the potion at Rumpel’s feet and the vial exploded causing golden strands of magic to wrap around the Dark One and hold him in place.

A lot was happening around David so it was hard for him to process. He was aware of Leroy who was stood quite a distance away shouting about flying monkeys and of Ruby pulling Belle away from Rumpel and Zelena now her role was complete.

His main focus was on his daughter who had thrown a bold of energy at the Witch and knocked her off her feet, sending the two potions sprawling a few feet away onto the grass. Both landed together and unbroken like they had been spelled to do so in the event of an attack. For a second Charming sucked in a deep breath, fearful that Regina’s heart may have been crushed in the fall. It was clear though that she had some sort of protection spell on the satchel because it remained undamaged.  

Hook had tried to make a run for the fallen witch to grasp the dagger but she was up to fast and she sent him flying several feet away onto the grass on the other side of the drive to the potion vials.  Emma threw a fire bolt at the potions themselves but the flames just bounced off the vials and they were left unharmed.

“Silly girl did you think I wouldn’t take precautions?!” the Witch screamed at the blond. David recognised that Zelena was now very focused on Emma and the real threat she did indeed pose. It was his chance to try and get to the dagger.   

He edged towards Hook who was climbing to his feet and closer to their target as Emma and the Witch threw a couple of bolts of magic each other that met in the middle of the distance between them and cancelled the other out. Just as the two squared up again there was a terrible explosion and flames ripped up in the air to the left of them. Marco and Archie had blown the shed and Zelena jumped in shock. It gave Emma the opportunity she wanted and a blue bolt of her magic through the Witch up in the air so that she landed hard within touching distance of David.

Three things happened at virtually the same time. Firstly, Hook pushed him towards the Witch and out of the way of an incoming flying monkey which the Pirate beat away with the flat of his sword. Secondly, the Dark One was released from his magical binding and instantly sent Emma flying a few feet down the drive. Lastly, Charming managed to reach out as he fell and smack the hilt of the dagger so that the leather of the belt snapped and the dagger flew about six feet away from the both of them.

Emma was struggling to her feet looking rather dazed which gave Zelena the opportunity to use her magic to summon the potion back into her grasp. Rumpel seemed to be lining Emma up for another blow when suddenly he halted and turned in David’s direction. The prince glanced over his shoulder and saw what had caught the other man’s attention.

“Rumpelstiltskin I command you” Belle called out through her own relieved tears as she held the Dark One’s dagger in the air.

 David climbed to his feet, hopeful that this fight would soon be over now they had the Dark One back on side. His hopes were dashed though when there was load roaring sound. He turned back towards Zelena to find that the woman had managed to smash the vials together and open a swirling grey portal.

“Too late” the Witch stated victoriously. No one had a chance to react before Zelena stepped through the portal. There was a strangled cry as the flying monkeys all started to peel away back into the forest.

David watched in horror as his daughter stumbled through the portal after the Witch and the grey light started to fade. He was quite far away from the portal but he still tried to run at it. Just before the portal closed completely Hook who had been stood nearer managed to reach it and leap through.

“Emma!” he cried out as he came to a stop.

The Prince stood and looked at the driveway where the portal had just been in a state of shock. This was the second time he’d had to watch his daughter go through a portal and into unknown danger and it was the second time he’d been just to slow to go through with her and help her. David was thankful that the Pirate had managed to succeed in following her though. He trusted Hook to fight for Emma and help get her home safely even if Emma had made it clear they could never be a romantic item.

However no matter how much faith he had in Emma or Hook he was filled with a sudden dread when he realised he would have to return to the apartment and explain all this to his wife and their grandson.

 

 

 

 

  

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**The Enchanted Forest - Emma POV**

As soon as her feet hit soft meadow grass on the other side of the portal Emma rather ungracefully tripped over and landed in a heap. She glanced up from the floor just in time to see the Wicked Witch disappear into a cloud of green smoke.

The blond tried to stand but was instantly barrelled over by someone else coming through the portal. She registered the sound of the portal closing as she sat up again. The person she expected to see lay on the floor with her was her father Prince Charming but she instantly recognised the leather coat of her companion. It was Hook.

“You okay?” she asked as he rolled onto his back and groaned.

“You are more solid than you look Swan” he complained; grasping his chest like she had knocked the wind out of him.

Emma scrambled to her feet and offered him her hand. Hook grasped onto her arm and she pulled him to his feet too.

“Where is out putrid looking friend?” the Pirate asked as he placed his sword back in his scabbard and dusted off his coat.

“She went poof the second we got here” the blond informed him.

“Well that’s not good” Hook quipped.

“Did you expect her to stand around and chat?” Emma asked dryly.

The blond wanted to try and focus on what was happening and not make idle conversation. She was glad that she had company on this adventure into the past but the Pirate was unlikely to be much help in this scenario, she could have done with an Enchanted Forest resident like her father or Ruby. The blond looked towards the patch of land were the portal had opened and sighed.

“No” Hook replied, rolling his eyes at her tone. When he saw that she was gazing at the area were the portal had been his tone and expression softened.  “Your father tried to get to the portal on time too love but he was too far away. He did however manage to relieve Zelena of the Dark One’s dagger so at least your family is safe.”

Emma kept her back to the Pirate so he couldn’t see her frustration. Given the scenario they had found themselves in she doubted anyone was ‘safe’. If Emma couldn’t succeed in stopping Zelena then she may never see her family again. Her last moments with Henry would have been a conversation that turned his world upside down.

“Where are we?” Hook asked.

“The Enchanted Forest” Emma replied swiftly. “I think the real question is **when** are we and **why** are we here at this particular time.”

After spending days wandering around the forest with Snow, Mulan and Aurora she easily recognised the look and feel of the Enchanted Forest. Its trees were old and strong and even the air held a sense of magic. She hadn’t recognised the strange light feeling it had given her the first time around but now that Regina had helped her tap into and except her own magic she understood the light headedness now. She was even pretty sure she had crossed this part of the Forest with Snow and Mulan when they had been racing to find the last of the poppies. It was hard to tell in the dark though even if the large moon gave the clearing an ethereal glow.

“You think if we can figure out at what point along the timeline we have found ourselves we may be able to predict the Witch’s plan?” Hook enquired. “How exactly do you plan on going about discovering our place in time without coming across as insane?”

That was a very good question. It would appear strange to even the most uneducated person if they started asking questions especially considering their state of dress. Hook may smell like a peasant but he certainly looked like an eyeliner clad Pirate and she looked completely foreign in her red leather jacket and jeans. It hadn’t been an issue during the last visit because the land had been ravished by the curse. This time subtly was required if they were going to stealthily slide through the countryside and fix whatever mess Zelena intended on making.

Emma knew of one way to fix their point in the timeline and that was to find out who currently sat on the throne and how old they key players such as Snow and Regina were. If they had gone back any earlier than the birth of either of those two then Emma would probably be clueless.

“We need to go to the Palace” Emma answered Hook’s question after some thought.

“The Summer Palace?” the Pirate enquired.

“No” Emma chuckled, knowing her answer was about to shock her travel companion; “The other one.”

Hook’s reaction was completely predictable. There was a look of shock followed by exasperation...and then he went into his pocket and retrieved his hip flask. After a particularly large mouthful of rum the Pirate finally commented on her plan.

“Swan if Regina is the Evil Queen by now then that is somewhere you do not want to go. I know you’ve become magic buddies back home but here....well here she was an evil tyrant with no patience, no remorse and no time for strangers.”

“And yet that is exactly where I am going” she replied calmly. 

She was aware that he had a valid point but she had no intentions of heading to the castle gates and knocking. All she needed to do was get near enough to discover whether or not it was Regina who was Queen or whether it was earlier than that when her grandfather Leopold was still alive.

 “Are you coming?” she asked the Pirate before turning and walking away without waiting for a response.

“Of course I’m bloody coming” Hook mumbled just loud enough for her to here as he followed on behind her.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Belle’s POV**

As the portal closed Belle was frozen in place. She held Rumpel’s dagger in her hands and was overcome with relief that they had released him from Zelena’s control but she was also worried and upset that Emma had been forced to chase Zelena into the portal.

“Belle” Rumpel’s voice broke her trance and she stumbled towards him and fell into his arms. Despite the crown of onlookers he kissed her deeply and she clung on to him for dear life until after several long seconds he pulled out of her embrace.

“Thank you” he directed towards all those present, “thank you for releasing me from Zelena’s control.”

The scattered group began to close up again now the threat had died down and everyone’s attention fell upon their Prince. Charming looked utterly lost and totally heartbroken and hadn’t moved since the portal had closed. He only realised everyone was looking at him when Ruby placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly.

“We failed” Charming stated emotionlessly. “Zelena succeeded in opening the portal and now Emma is stuck in the past with her.”

Belle felt Rumpel release himself from her hold and he stepped closer to Charming. Just as he did so Marco, Archie and Granny reached the group. Both Marco and Archie were covered in black soot from the explosion.

“All is not lost yet” Rumpel encouraged the Prince, “If anyone can stop the Witch then its Miss Swan.”

Belle knew him better than anyone and she could tell that his reassurances came from more than just the fact Emma was the Saviour. It was something she would question him about in private though in case there was an important reason he was holding something back.

“And she’s not alone” Ruby chirped up. “Hook is with her.”

Charming nodded at the waitress who still had her hand clasped firmly on his shoulder. He reached up with his non sword holding hand and placed it upon hers, silently thanking her for the reassurance.

“Do you know of Zelena’s plan?” the Prince asked Rumpel.

“She plans to prevent Regina from being the one to cast the curse” Rumpel replied evenly. “She wishes to be the one to have cast it.”

“How does she plan to do that? Kill Regina?” Charming continued his questions and they tried to make sense of the Witch’s plot.

“Oh no” Rumpel shook his head as he spoke. “Zelena wants Regina to be nothing...to feel how Zelena views herself...to be denied her happy ending like everyone else.”

“Then how does she plan to succeed then?” the Prince asked, confusion written across his features. Belle had guessed where this was going and she knew everyone in the clearing was about to get a terrible shock.

“She plans to kill the young Snow so Regina has no cause to become embittered and turn to magic” Rumpel answered slowly, sighing as he spoke. “She will instead just be an unhappy wife locked into marriage with the old king.”

Charming’s face fell so far it practically plunged and his sword dropped from his hand. The weapon clattered against the driveway with an echoing ring. It was the only sound in sea of silence. A silence that dragge don for several horrible seconds.

“But if Snow White dies...” Archie began to speak but Rumpel cut him off mid sentence.

“Then her and Charming will never meet and produce the child of true love so the curse will have no break out clause.”

 Everyone was silent again as they took aboard his words and thought them through. The repercussions to such a change would be massive. Belle doubted anyone would be able to fully predict them but one thing was certain...Emma would never exist and therefore neither would Henry.

“Regina” Charming suddenly threw his hands in the air and looked panicked. “The spell was cast so Regina...”

“...Will be fine for now” Rumpel cut in reassuringly. “The spell feed’s off the energy from the totems so death is not instant.”     

Charming looked relieved. Seeing Snow, David, Emma and Regina get on had taken some getting used to for all the residents but Belle liked to think of herself as an expert on redemption after all her trials and tribulations with Rumpelstiltskin. There was no denying that Charming’s concern was genuine and was probably enflamed by the fact his pregnant wife and grandson were with Regina at this very second in time. A grandson who had probably just found out that Regina had actually raised him.

“Can we help her?” Belle asked.

Rumpel turned back towards her and looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. He reached out and took her hand, smiling slightly before he replied.

“I may be able to buy her some more time but that relies upon Miss Swan not only stopping Zelena but also being able to retrieve the heart before it is too late. It also relies on her figuring out that the heart needs retrieving.”

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**The Enchanted Forest -                 Hook  POV**

 

When he had leapt through the portal Hook had been expecting an epic battle followed by instant success or instant death. He hadn’t expected to find himself trapped in the past and traipsing through the Enchanted Forest into unknown danger, trying to foil Zelena’s unknown plot with the woman who utterly refused his hand in marriage only an hour or so before.

In all honesty he hadn’t really thought about anything other than making sure said woman, the lovely Emma Swan, was safe. Even if she could never love him it didn’t change his own feelings for her or for her safety. Besides he hadn’t totally given up yet so some time alone may be just the thing he needed to finally win her heart. That was if she ever stopped storming off ahead of him.

“How far are we away do you think?” the blonde suddenly dropped back and asked.

“About a two day walk I think” Hook replied, flashing his most dashing smile. “I recognise this part of the forest from when I was here during the missing year. Me and my men camped out here for a bit whilst I played the dandy highway man.”

“With all that eyeliner you must have looked like Adam Ant” the blonde scoffed. Hook just looked at her blankly as he had no idea what this Adam Ant was or why she found it so funny.

“Never mind” Emma shrugged her own comment off. “Two days could be too long.”

Quite what the blond expected him to do about it he wasn’t sure. It wasn’t like he could bend time or anything; she was the one with all the power.

“We’ll you have magic” he pointed out, “ **poof** us there.”

“I daren’t” Emma admitted. “I have never done it before and Regina told me once that it was something that could go horribly wrong.”

He glanced down at the hook where his hand had once been and cringed. It may have given him a colourful moniker but he did not fancy having a wooden leg or something else to add to it. Any moniker given to him for that would have to be abbreviated for common use. 

“Ah yes let’s give that a miss then as I’d like to keep my remaining limbs intact” he stated good humouredly.

The blond began to walk on a bit quicker again but this time he also increased his speed and stayed alongside her. She glanced across at him awkwardly before engaging him in conversation again.  

“The first village we get to we need to find ourselves clothes that will allow us to blend in and a couple of horses.”

Hook had never seen Emma within a mile of a horse never mind on one and he couldn’t imagine the Boston girl even knew how to ride. It would certainly significantly cut down the amount of time it would take them to reach the Palace if she managed to stay onboard. Riding was not as easy as it looked especially as a horse was a living, breathing, thinking and often stubborn creature. Swan was right about the way they were dressed even though he was loathed to change out of the clothing he was comfortable in.

“And how exactly do you plan to pay for all this love?” he asked. Other than his sword and his hip flask he had nothing of value to trade. Emma had a dagger down her boot and a gun. He doubted she’d part with either of them.

“Well let me see...I used to be a thief and you are a pirate slash highway man” Emma rolled her eyes as she spoke.

“Point taken” Hook sulked. How was he meant to know the Saviour planned on thieving from innocents?

“Either that or I could do this” Emma said and she made a fist and flicked her wrist. When she opened her hand again it contained several gold coins. The blond smiled broadly as she looked down at her magical spoils. She was starting to believe in her abilities.

“That’s very impressive” he encouraged her. “Later, when I run out, you can practise some more by topping up my rum.”

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Storybrooke - Snow POV**

Snow had been sat on the armchair by her bed watching over the cursed form of Regina for nearly an hour. She had a blanket draped around her shoulders and had dozed in and out of a light sleep whilst waiting for her family to return. She was worried about them of course but pregnancy seemed to wipe her out no matter what perils were going on around her.

Henry had been sat on the sofa skim reading through the book but had fallen asleep over half an hour ago with the book still balancing on his chest. It was no surprise that he could stay awake no longer as it was nearly one in the morning. Growing twelve year old boys need their sleep.

She was just starting to dose of yet again when she heard the apartment door unlocking. She clambered to her feet, relief flooding her, and went to greet her family. When Charming entered with only Belle and Rumpelstiltskin she froze half way across the room from him.

“Where is Emma?” she asked quietly. Even though panic was starting to set in she did not want to wake Henry.

Charming spotted the sleeping form of Henry on the sofa and headed towards Snow. Belle closed the door as quietly as possible behind them and she and Rumpelstiltskin headed towards the unconscious form of Regina. 

“Zelena managed to open the portal and Emma and Hook followed her through” Charming explained as he reached his wife. He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. Snow could see the sadness and the worry he was feeling and she reached out for him too.

“If Zelena opened the portal then how is Regina still alive?” she asked. Regina’s chest had been rising and falling as Snow had watched her. She was definitely still alive.

“Gold said the spell works by draining the three talismans” Charming explained. “Eventually she will die unless Emma can retrieve the heart in time.”

Snow released her husband and rubbed her hands across her face. This was all a total mess. Emma was chasing the Wicked Witch around the Enchanted Forest of the past and all they could do was sit and hope their daughter could succeed in stopping her. Meanwhile they would be forced to watch Regina’s slow decline. Even in the darkest days of their relationship Snow would not have wished to witness such a thing. Now they were loosely what you could describe as friends and certainly family it was going to be terrible.

“I’m sorry” Charming said sadly. He still had his hands resting on her shoulders even though she had released him. She could feel his hands trembling.

“I tried to follow her through but I was too far away” he continued with a guilt ridden voice. Snow reached up and cupped his cheeks with her hands. Her husband was a brave and proud man and it would be eating him up that he could not protect his daughter or go with her into danger.

“We have to have belief in Emma…she can do this” Snow encouraged him in the only way she knew how.

People often told them both that they were eternally optimistic and made it sound like a fault but Snow had always felt it was their strength. They had always believed in each other no matter what the circumstances and it had always turned out okay in the end. Now they had to trust that their daughter could believe in herself and achieve the same.

“I believe in her” Charming stated with a slightly forced smile. “Do we wake up Henry and tell him what has happened?”

Snow released her husband again and turned her attention to the young boy curled up asleep on the sofa. They had to tell him what had happened as it wasn’t fair or possible to hide it from him. He had only just fallen asleep though and was unlikely to settle after being told such frightening news. It would be cruel to wake him up now.

 “Let him sleep a little first” she replied.

Snow moved away from her husband and removed the book from Henry’s chest, placing it on the coffee table with the page he had last read still open. She unfolded the fleece throw that was placed on the arm of the sofa and covered him with it. He would be warm enough on the sofa for now.

“Did Emma tell him who we are?” Charming asked after Snow had finished tending to their grandson.

“Yes” Snow replied, “I think he took it quite well although he hasn’t spoken about it since Emma left.”

Her husband nodded and looked down at the ‘Once Upon a Time’ book that lay open on the table. The page that lay open was the story of their true love’s kiss that had broken the sleeping curse. The illustration was Snow lay in the glass coffin with Charming and the dwarves looking down at her.

“He’s reading our story” Charming smiled as he reached out and touched the illustration with his fingertips. Snow smiled at his naivety. Although she had no doubt Henry would want to know about his them, they were his grandparents after all, she was sure that for now he would be more interested in learning about the woman who lay in their bed.

“…and Regina’s” she stated softly.

Her husband looked back to their grandson and sighed. Whatever he may or may not have been planning to say was lost though when Rumpelstiltskin reappeared from beside Regina’s bed.

 

 

“Her condition is stable but she will decline rapidly” he informed them quietly, coming to a halt alongside them. Snow caught the affectionate look that passed across his face as he looked down at Henry. He was Rumpel’s grandson too and the only living link to his son. Snow suspected that if they all survived this; if Emma succeeded, then Rumpel would probably spoil Henry rotten.

“How much time does she have?” Charming asked. His question drew Rumpelstiltskin’s attention back to events at hand and the business mask reappeared instantly.

“I have a preservation potion back in the shop that should help draw it out to a couple of days” he explained. “How long exactly depends on Regina herself and how well her body fights it. Of course she may be hindered slightly by the sleeping curse.”

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**The Enchanted Forest - Emma POV**

They had walked for a couple of hours before Emma had finally relented and agreed to get a couple of hours sleep whilst it was still dark. They had found a large fallen tree and slept sitting up against it until Emma’s phone alarm had awoken them. After yet another hour of walking they had found a road and were now following it in the direction they hoped the palace was in.

Hook had insisted on talking at her for the first half an hour but had long since given up. She didn’t dislike his conversation but there was just too much on her mind to concentrate of his needless chatter. Her parents were back in Storybrooke and her son. Henry had only just found out about who they all really where and now she had disappeared through a portal leaving him to deal with that new knowledge without her. His other mother...the woman he had just found out was also his mother…well Emma shuddered to think what had happened once the time travelling spell had been cast.

“Do you think she’s dead?” she asked the Pirate. Her question caught him by surprise as she had been silent for so long and his shoulders lifted from the dejected position they had previously been in.

“Zelena?” he asked, confusion lacing his voice.

“No…Regina” she replied in a clipped tone. Why on earth would she be asking about Zelena when it was clear the green Witch was flitting around the Forest somewhere trying to cause mayhem?

“Well Belle said that the Talismans would somehow power the spell” Hook responded, his tone suggesting he held little hope of Regina being anything other than dead.

Not that the Pirate sounded concerned at the prospect. The two had always shown each other little care but a begrudging respect since Emma had known them. Recently though Emma had detected signs of Hook being jealous of the amount of time she had spent with Regina whilst avoiding him.

“Even if we succeed in stopping Zelena she may have succeeded in ripping two of Henry’s parents away from him” Emma shared her thoughts with the Pirate.

“Good job he one spare then” Hook quipped. His humour was completely inappropriate at this time and it made Emma’s blood boil. This was why she could never truly love him. He would never care completely for anyone but himself.

“How is this funny?” she snapped. “You claim to have cared for Neal but you grieved him for only moments before using his loss as a chance to finally sink your claws into me. You say you like and care for Henry yet you dismiss the possible passing of the woman who brought him up with a joke.”

The second she had started scolding him the Pirate’s face fell and he knew he had utterly put his foot in it. As hard as he tried his pitiful facial expression didn’t win him any sympathy points from Emma today. He seemed to realise it was ineffectual and turned his tactics to an apology.

“I’m sorry” he conceded; “I have a nasty habit of deflecting serious conversations through humour.”

On a different day Emma would have continued to verbally scrap with him about it but she had more important things to worry about. So instead the blond merely turned her back on him and continued their journey. He skulked just behind her but left well alone.

After only a few more minutes Emma rounded a bend in the road and jumped in surprise because a couple of hundred yards ahead of them was a village. Hook, who was still sulking, was still oblivious so she grabbed his arm and pulled him off the road and behind a large oak tree. 

“Well Swan…one minute you are criticizing me the next you are jumping me” the Pirate chuckled as his back slammed against the tree. Emma rolled her eyes again before dragging his body so he could see around the tree.

“Village” she explained irritably.

The sight of civilisation turned the Pirate’s expression from jovial to serious and he pulled her further back behind the cover of the tree.

“I suggest you wait here” he instructed.

“What? Why?” Emma asked; her grip on his leather coat increasing.

“I may look a little out of place Swan but you look like you are from another planet” the Pirate pointed out. He latched his hook onto the sleeve of her red leather jacket and tugged the hand away from him so she was no longer holding him in place.

One thing Emma had hated about being in the Enchanted Forest with her mother after the Wraith had dragged her through the portal was how useless she felt. She didn’t feel like having a repeat of that experience with Hook especially now she had experienced traveling through other lands and had finally found some belief in herself. He was rather unfortunately correct though as she looked totally conspicuous. So the blond stepped back out of his space and handed him the gold coins she had stored in her pocket.

“Okay go” she agreed.

“I won’t be long” he promised, “wait right here.”

Hook didn’t wait for a response and returned to the road. Emma watched him approach the village, relieved to see that none of the residents in sight paid him much attention.

Once he was out of sight she sat with her back against the tree and waited. It was still early in the morning and she had barely slept. It was hard to keep her eyes open and at some point the must have slid shut as her body gave into the exhaustion.

“Hey wake up.”

A strong hand shook her shoulder and Emma was up on her feet in a flash even though she was dazed from her nap. It took her a couple of seconds to realise it was just Hook although he was now wearing cream breeches, a brown thigh length coat and a brown leather satchel. It was incredibly strange to see him wear anything other than his usual clothing. She wasn’t sure exactly how long he had been gone but the light creeping through the tree cover was much brighter now so she knew he had been gone for a little while. 

 

“Two horses as ordered” he stated cheerfully, gesturing with his hook to the two beasts that were tied up to the tree at the edge of the road. They were much larger than Emma had expected, she doubted she would be able to look over their backs if she stood next to them. It would be a baptism of fire considering she had never even sat on a pony before never mind tried to control one.

“What is this?” she asked as the Pirate thrust a mass of blue and grey material towards her.

 “It’s a dress…and a cloak” he replied dryly.

She looked down at the clothing again and ran her hand over it. The material felt barely softer than the material people made sacks out of. She was going to look utterly ridiculous and feel really uncomfortable.

“What kind of clothes did you think I was going to be able to purchase from peasants?!” Hook exclaimed as he watched her horrified expression. She glared at him before taking her coat and gun belt off. He obviously expected her to strip but in true Captain Hook fashion he continued to look at her. His face fell when she merely pulled the blue dress on over her vest top and skinny jeans and smiled victoriously at him.

She fastened her belt around the dress so the gun was at her hip and threw the grey cloak over her shoulders. Once Emma had tied the cloak around her neck she turned her attention back to the overconfident Pirate.

“What’s in the bag?” she asked, pointing at his satchel. As Emma spoke she scooped up her red leather jacket. There was no way she was just leaving behind as it held sentimental value for her; in the movies horses usually had saddle bags so she’d hide it in there.

“Provisions for our trip” Hook replied, tapping the bag with his hook. “I have water skins, bread and salted pork.”

The Pirate removed a couple of pieces of bread from his bag and tossed her one which she caught with ease. The bread wasn’t exactly fresh but it would fill a hole. Hook chuckled as she inspected the food.

“Let me guess…what kind of food did I expect you to purchase from peasants?” Emma repeated his earlier excuse with a good helping of sarcasm. He merely responded by taking a large bite full of the bread as he gazed at her. Apparently turning down his offer of marriage wasn’t going to prevent him flirting.

Emma turned away from him and headed to the two horses, eating her bread as she went. She stroked both horses’ noses in an attempt to choose between the two. One was nearly completely black apart from a white splodge on its head and the other was ginger with a white stripe on its face and white creeping up its legs. Both allowed her to stroke them but the ginger one seemed a bit on its toes and kept snorting. She decided the black one felt a little bit safer so she stuffed her coat into the leather pouch attached to its saddle.

“Check your girth before you get on” Hook instructed as he joined her by the two horses. When she looked at him blankly he pulled up the flap on the saddle and tightened the belt that held the saddle in place on her horse.

“Let me give you a leg up” he offered as he untied her horse and put the reins over the horses head. Emma knew what they were at least and what they were used for.

Emma wanted to protest but she doubted she would be able to get up without help especially in a dress so she nodded her accent. He grasped her right leg and bent it from her knee so it was at a right angle.

“Jump” he instructed. She followed his command and as she jumped her pushed her upwards and somehow she found herself sat astride the saddle. She managed to shuffle her dress to make it more comfortable and he handed her the reins and showed her how to hold them.

“It’s a gentle squeeze to go, a gentle pull to stop and just guide him in the direction you want him to turn” Hook instructed as he fiddles with the metal stirrups she had her feet in until they were a comfortable length.

“Thanks” she said genuinely once he had finished. He smiled in return and untied his own horse, checking its girth and leaping on from the floor. Once he had sorted his own stirrups he rode up alongside her.

“What is his name?” she asked, feeling the need to bond with the animal she was sat on.

“Thunder” Hook chuckled, “or so said John the blacksmith who I bought him from.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Storybrooke – Snow POV**

Charming had sent Snow to sleep in Emma’s old room for a couple of hours whilst he had sat in the living area in case Henry woke up. At about five in the morning she had woken up and swapped with him so he could also get some rest. Gold and Belle had collected the potion from his shop and returned whilst she had been sleeping and the two were now asleep in two armchairs by the bed Regina lay in.  Every now and again Rumpelstiltkin would wake up and check on the brunette before returning to the armchair to rest again.

It was about seven in the morning when Henry finally stirred and as he sat up on the sofa and stretched Snow moved from her armchair to sit with him.

 “Where is my mom?” he asked as he glanced towards the light streaming in through the window. He was a clever boy and even is his sleepy state he could tell it had been hours since Emma had gone out.

Snow took a deep breath, building up the courage to explain it all to her grandson. There could be no hiding anything from him even though it would probably terrify him that his mother was no longer in the only world he remembered.

“Henry I need you to listen carefully to me and I need you to try not to panic” Snow spoke softly. “Last night you mom went to try and stop a very bad person, a Wicked Witch called Zelena, opening a portal. She didn’t succeed in stopping her so Emma and Hook went through the portal after her.”

The boys brow knitted in confusion as and worry as he listened and processed what she was trying to tell him.

“Through a portal? Like a portal to another place?” he asked; his voice high and laced with fear.

“That’s right” Snow replied as calmly as she could muster. She had to try and stay optimistic so he didn’t worry too much. “It was a portal to this world except it was a special type of portal that has taken them back in time.”

“Back in time? Why? ...How is my mom going to get back?” Henry flustered, the fleece blanket slid off him and onto the floor as he swivelled around on the sofa so he was sat upright. Snow reached out and grasped his hand, giving it a tight and comforting squeeze.

“Your mom is very resourceful Henry and she is a great hero” Snow encouraged him with the most optimistic tone she could muster. “I know she will stop Zelena and find her way back to us as soon as she can.”

Her words and confident manner seemed to calm the boy slightly. Henry had always been an eternal optimist like his grandparents. He had believed that good would triumph against evil no matter what evil tried to do. He believed in people who others could not bring themselves to believe him. Henry may not remember these things but it was in his genetics to trust that all would be well. He was a Charming through and through in that respect.

“As for your other question” Snow continued. “Apparently Zelena wants to take her half-sister’s place and be the person who cast the curse that brought us all here in the first place.”

“The Evil Queen cast the curse” Henry stated as he began to put the pieces together very quickly for a boy of only twelve.

“Regina is Zelena’s half-sister yes” Snow clarified. “Regina’s mother Cora gave Zelena up and that has made her very jealous of Regina.”

Henry stood up and stretched again, his eyes falling upon the open ‘Once Upon a Time’ book as he finished. He moved closer to the book and looked between the picture of Snow White in the book and the women herself.

“This is a lot to take in” Henry admitted. “I mean…my mom said you are my grandma but you are like the same age as her.”

She had expected him to start asking questions sooner rather than later as he was naturally inquisitive. Virtually the entire story was fantastical and unbelievable but having grandparents in their late twenties was probably right up there with magic being real and Archie once being a cricket.

“Actually physically I’m a couple of years younger” Snow explained. “When the curse brought us hear it froze us in time. So whilst Emma aged for twenty eight years we did not. It made our reunion when she broke the curse a little weird especially as she had been living as my room-mate.”

Henry opened his mouth to ask something else but then movement behind them distracted him and he turned to see Rumpelstiltskin walking to Regina’s bed to check on her again. As Rumpel had been held in captivity for the entire time Henry had been back in Storybrooke the two hadn’t met and the boy looked surprised to see a stranger in the apartment with them.

Snow got to her feet too and lead Henry toward the back of the apartment were Regina laid unconscious her and Charming’s bed. The older man noticed their arrival and greeted them by bowing his head as he continued to check Regina’s temperature with a thermometer. He looked surprised to see them both awake.

“Henry this is Mr Gold” Snow introduced her grandson to a slightly startled looking Rumpel. “He’s helping care for Regina…he’s also your other granddad.”

 

**Storybrooke – Gold POV**

 

Rumpel blinked awake and checked his watch. It was seven fifteen in the morning, nearly an hour since he had checked on the once Evil Queen last. He was a light sleeper and always woke several times during the night especially when circumstances forced him to sleep in a wooden armchair padded only by a couple of cushions and a thin blanket. Every time he had awoken he had checked of Regina’s condition. So far the brunette had remained stable but it was only early days, soon her condition would begin to decline.

Since Belle had come in to his life and taught him the value of true love he had found himself more reflective over his past actions. He had used the woman lying unconscious before him rather appallingly. Every person has the potential to go dark but as the daughter of a woman such as Cora then Regina had been a soft target especially after her mother killer the man she loved and forced her into an advantageous but loveless marriage. The brunette had been ripe for the picking and he had twisted her into what he needed...a person desperate enough for a new start to cast a devastating curse.

He didn’t regret his actions exactly as they had led him to this land like he had planned and allowed him to reunite with his son. Even after losing Bae for good only days ago he didn’t regret the chance to make amends with his son. He did feel sorry though that he had caused Regina so much pain just to meet his own needs. Nursing her now seemed the only way for him to make any amends. It was what Belle would tell him was the right thing to do and it is what Bae would want him to do too especially as Regina was the adoptive mother of Bae’s son.

Rumpel was checking Regina’s temperature, as she started to feel the effects of the drain on her absent heart it was bound to make her body fever. He became aware of someone approaching and glanced towards the right to see Snow White and Henry by the staircase. Seeing Henry awake caused a wave of sadness over the loss of his son as he could see some of Neal’s features in Henry’s face.

“Henry this is Mr Gold” the princess began to introduce Henry to him. “He’s helping care for Regina…he’s also your other granddad.”

Rumpel was slightly taken back by the introduction. He was aware that Henry now knew he was missing memories and that they were all from another land but he didn’t expect Snow White to be so open about his own relationship to the boy.

“You’re my dad’s dad?” Henry asked with curiosity and a little bit of excitement bubbling in his voice.

“Yes that’s right Henry” he replied. This was a little out of Rumpel’s comfort zone so he did the first thing which came to his head. He reached out and offered his grandson his hand to shake. Henry did not seem fazed by such a greeting and reached out and shook the offered hand.

“I…I didn’t see you at the funeral” Henry half stated and half asked as he dropped his hand away. The boy glanced between him and Snow White as he tried to understand if it was an appropriate question for him to ask or if his curiosity had gone a little too far too quickly.

“Mr Gold was being held captive by the Witch” Snow answered before Rumpel had the chance. “Emma rescued him last night.”

The boy looked sad for him because he had missed his own son’s funeral. It made Rumpel even more flustered so he returned his focus to Regina. It had been well over a minute since he put the thermometer in her mouth so he removed it and checked were the red line was. The woman’s temperature was still stable and at a normal level. He used a sterile wipe to clean the instrument and placed it back in its clear tube.

“Wait is you are Baelfire’s dad then that makes you Rumpelstiltskin?” Henry suddenly chirped up.

“You’ve been reading the book” Rumpel stated, glancing up at the boy and nodding as he spoke. He had seen the fairy tales draped over the sleeping form of the boy when he had entered for the first time last night.

Henry went quiet again as Rumpel continued his check-up of the Mayor. This time Rumpel used magic to scan over her body and check for any fluctuations in her health both physical and magical. For the moment Regina seemed in good general health and there were no signs of her magic being bled away.

“Can you wake the Mayor up?” Henry asked as he continued to watch from by the staircase.

Snow had wandered away and was not clattering around the kitchen. Rumpel hoped that it was a sign she was about to feed them all breakfast because he had been fed gruel for days. The only proper meal he had been given came in the form of a ‘celebratory meal’ with Zelena that had been set up more like a date. Unlike a date he hadn’t been free to leave when he wasn’t enjoying it.

“Only true love’s kiss can wake your mother up from the sleeping curse” Rumpel returned his attention to Henry’s question. “However the curse is the least of her worries.”

“What do you mean?” Henry asked instantly.

Rumpel realised that the boy didn’t know what exactly had happened to his adoptive mother. It was too late to try and hide it from him now and as he was technically family he felt within his rights to tell Henry what was going on. He had been a poor father to Bae but he could try to be a good granddad to Henry. He took a seat at the end of the bed so he was facing Henry and only a couple of foot away.

“Well the magic the Witch used to take her and your mother back in time draws its energy from three magical items…one of which is Regina’s heart” he explained as delicately as possible. “Unless Emma succeeds in stopping Zelena it will continue to draw that energy until there is none left.”

All in all he felt it was quite tactful explanation. He could have just gone with ‘if the mum you remember fails then the mum you don’t remember is going to die’. Belle would be proud.

“It’s killing her” Henry stated sadly. Apparently you could sugar coat the explanation as much as you liked but it didn’t chase away the reality.

“Yes Henry” Rumpel admitted. “I have given her something to help but apart from that all we can do is watch over her and treat any symptoms that may arise. The rest is up to Emma.”

Henry nodded and smiled weakly before heading back towards the sofa. Rumpel remained seated as he watched the boy pick up the book again and continue to read. He had made Henry even more worried and sad. Suddenly a small and elegant hand pressed against his shoulder and squeezed affectionately. He hadn’t even realised Belle was awake or for how long she had been listening for.

“You handled that well” Belle encouraged as she sat next to him at the foot of the bed.

“Did I?” he asked disbelievingly. “I think Snow White or Prince Charming may have been able to make it all sound a little more positive.”

Belle grasped his hand and pulled him into her, pecking his lips a couple of times before letting him sit straight again. Her actions surprised him slightly but he didn’t put up a protest even if they were technically in public. Henry was fully focused on his book and Snow was cooking something delicious smelling so it wasn’t like anyone was paying them much attention.

 “He needs their optimism yes but he also needs balance” Belle tried to encourage him again. “Henry asked the question because he wanted to know the answer and you gave him an honest answer. It may not be the answer he wished for but he will still appreciate the fact you told him the truth.”

Just as Belle was leaning in for another kiss the stairs started to creak and she pulled away again. Charming emerged at the bottom in jeans and a chequered shirt looking rather exhausted after only a couple of hours asleep.

“Hey I smelt pancakes” the Prince greeted, “my body decided food was more important than sleep.”

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**The Enchanted Forest - Hook POV**

Riding may be quicker than walking but after two hours in the saddle Hook was starting to recall how much sitting astride a horse could ache after a while. It was one of the reasons he had preferred the sea to the land as a young man looking to make his fortune.

If Hook was feeling a dull ache then Emma was probably very sore considering she had never even been in the saddle before. Not that she would complain about it as she was too pig headed to tell someone she was struggling. The only sign of her discomfort was the fact she kept removing her feet from the stirrups and stretching her legs down. Occasionally when she had her feet back in the stirrups she would stand up slightly when she thought he wasn’t looking.

He had been quietly impressed by her adaptability as she had taken to riding quickly and easily. They had even achieved a slow canter a couple of times when the road lent itself to moving at speed. A lot of the time the road was stony or uneven so they had kept to a walk. Horses covered the ground a lot quicker in walk than people did though so they were still progressing quickly.

They were currently passing through quite a dense part of the forest and Hook was starting to get the feeling that they were being watched. He had kept his eyes peeled for several minutes but seen nothing. However the feeling did not go and as they approached a large group of tall rocks that stood to the right of the road and several yards off it he understood why. A very familiar figure lay upon the tallest of the rocks with chin propped up on his arm and his beady eyes firmly fixed upon them.

“I think we are stopping here Swan” Hook spoke up, eyeing the man he used to refer to as ’the crocodile’ wearily.  He may have made peace with the Rumpelstiltskin of their time but this was the imp of the pas and was a different kettle of fish.

“I haven’t got time for you to re-do your make up Hook we need to keep moving” Emma snapped at him. She was still oblivious to the man sat on the rocks watching them but it didn’t give her an excuse to keep talking to him like that. It was starting to really grate on him.

“That’s just rude love” he protested, “but it’s not me who wants you to stop.”

The blond just continued to look at him like he had grown two heads even though he was blatantly staring past her and at something else. They were virtually next to the rocks by this point.

“You should listen to him dearie” the imp spoke up.

Hook wished he had one of those strange camera devices from Emma’s world that took pictures because the look of realisation and fear that suddenly replaced her previous sneer was worth capturing. It was almost comical how fast her expression had switched if it wasn’t for the potential seriousness of the conversation.

“Oh” Emma muttered, turning her attention to the familiar man sat just a few yards away from her.

“Rumpelstiltskin” she greeted the man calmly even though they had technically not met yet.

“Emma Swan” the imp greeted back.

Hook’s own gasp matched the one the blond let out alongside him. How the hell did the Rumpelstiltskin of the past recognise her and know her name?

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**The Enchanted Forest - Emma POV**

 “Rumpelstiltskin.”

Emma greeted the man with his name even though in this time he had never met her before. Considering he was the ‘Dark One’ she doubted there would be a person in the Enchanted Forest who wouldn’t recognise him especially considering the gold glitter hue on his skin. His appearance was so strange that she now understood why Regina often referenced Rumpel as an imp.

“Emma Swan” the imp greeted back. Smiling widely and pointing his forefinger up to the sky as he spoke.

Emma heard Hook gasp to her left. She had been aware that Rumpel knew her name before the curse was cast after she had found the parchment he had written in Squid Ink in his cell. Knowing her name and recognising her appearance were two very different things though and it was unnerving to say the least.

“So we both know each other’s name” she brushed off his alarming knowledge with a shrug. She had dealt with Rumpelstiltskin before and she had learnt that confidence was the key.  You could never back down and never show weakness.

“Indeed dearie” the man let out a high pitch giggle at her demeanour. “Although I’m a little confused what Snow White’s daughter…the saviour…is doing roaming around the Enchanted Forest years before her birth.”

Emma had read Henry’s book and she knew Rumpel had the gift of foresight but this wasn’t pieces of a jigsaw…this was the whole picture. Sometimes she couldn’t decide whether she had a grudging respect for him as a master manipulator or if she hated him for mapping out her entire existence. It was even harder to judge him once she discovered he was related to her son. Family was a funny thing and it was something this Rumpel of the past was unaware of.

“I’m here to prevent a disaster” she informed him coolly, “one that would affect your plans for the curse Rumpelstiltskin.”

If it affected his plans for the curse then it affected his plans to find his son so she knew it would pique his interest.

“And what is this disaster of which you speak?” Rumpel asked, swinging his legs over the front of the rock and sitting upright with his hands resting on his hips in a rather camp fashion. Emma definitely had his attention now.

“How about you answer my questions and I’ll answer yours?” Emma replied confidently. She caught the sideways look Hook gave her but Rumpel seemed delighted that she was taking him on and smiled broadly.

“As you wish dearie” he agreed, gesturing with his hand for her to continue and swinging his legs so his heels knocked against the rock. Emma knew he wouldn’t let her ask too many before he wanted answers of his own so she made sure to prioritise.

“Who is the leader of this land?” she asked. Her question drew another strange high pitched giggle from the man. She recognised many of his mannerisms from back in Storybrooke but Rumpel of old was squeakier and crazier.

“Why King Leopold of course” the dark one replied like it was an utterly silly question even though she was well aware he knew it was not.

“And Regina?” Emma asked her second question.

“Is the Kings new wife” Rumpel chuckled. “You grandfather found himself a pretty young thing.”

Emma cringed at the reference to the marriage she knew Regina never wanted. She was aware that her grandfather had been a lot older than the brunette when they married and now she supposed she would find out how much older. The thought of a teenage Regina being manhandled by an old man made her stomach turn. Emma now at least had a point on the timeline to work with. Regina had recently married Leopold and Snow was still a child. If Regina was married then Cora was already in Wonderland. Emma was more than relieved that she didn’t have to tackle Cora and all her crazy ways again.

“Now my question dearie,” Rumpelstiltskin instructed after having given her a few seconds to process his answers. Emma looked up at him and considered her answer. Telling him everything would be time consuming and possibly dangerous so she decided to just stick with the bare minimal.

“Zelena, Regina’s half-sister had travelled back in time to try and change her future” Emma explained. “She wants to be the one who casts the curse.”

Rumpel’s eyebrows shot up at the statement but he didn’t comment. The dark one knew they had to be telling the truth because her presence alone indicated time travel however he seemed perplexed by it.

“So your protégé is at risk and we need to save her” Hook suddenly spoke up after being silent for so long. Emma rather wished he hadn’t as his derogatory tone caused a flash of irritation across Rumpelstiltskin’s face.

“Interesting travel companion you keep” the dark one muttered as he jumped down of the rock and came to stand at the shoulder of her horse.

“I forgot you two have history” Emma snapped at both men. “In my time you’ve got bored of trying to hurt each other so can we cut the crap and focus on what is important.”

“Feisty aren’t we dearie” Rumpel giggled again at her expense before continuing more seriously. “Regina is safe because Zelena knows I protect her and if I know Zelena…which I do…she will go for the soft target.”

Emma waited for him to continue but instead he just patted the shoulder of Thunder her horse and waited for her to ask him the obvious question. Didn’t he realise they were in a rush?

“Which is?” she asked, frustration lacing her voice at his games.

“Why should I help you?” Rumpel asked as he leant against the horses shoulder and looked up at her. “I can manipulate my curse into being cast no matter what happens here and now.”

Emma recognised this game from Storybrooke. Rumpel, or Mr Gold as she had once known him, was all about making deals and getting what he wanted out of a situation. She may have been naive to it as new resident in Maine but she was becoming a seasoned professional.

“One day in your future I’m going to help you find your son Bae” she drawled as she lent down so they were face to face. “As it stands now that is guaranteed. Would you really put that outcome at risk after losing him once already?”

Emma prayed that Rumpel didn’t start asking her about Neal because he would spot a lie and she really didn’t think it would help her cause to tell him that in her time his son was now dead. Luckily her confident answer seemed to satisfy the man and he stood upright again and stepped away from her horse.

“Zelena will try to kill the person whose existence causes Regina enough pain to cast such a curse of course” Rumpel riddled. It didn’t take very long to figure out what he was suggesting though.

“My mother…Snow White” she stated. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach as she spoke. Zelena was trying to wipe her family out of existence.

“Well done dearie” the Dark One complimented her, clasping his hands together and giggling yet again. He seemed to be enjoying their chat immensely especially considering she was enjoying it so little.

“What?” Hook asked her. Apparently he hadn’t managed to follow the conversation or just didn’t believe it.

“No Snow White no bitterness…no bitterness no need to become the evil queen…no evil queen equals no curse unless Rumpelstiltskin turns to somebody else” Emma explained before turning back to Rumpel. Only he wasn’t there anymore.

“He’s gone” she gasped in surprise.

“Yeah he does that” Hook responded dryly. “It usually means the conversation is over.”

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Snow POV**

 

Breakfast had been an odd affair as everyone was deadly quiet. Henry hadn’t taken his nose out of the book even whilst he ate and none of the others had slept enough to have energy for chatter. After breakfast Rumpel had excused himself and headed back to his shop to make another potion to help Regina whilst Belle had stayed behind to help Snow keep an eye on Regina. Henry had taken up residence on the sofa with his book and a cup of hot coca.

Snow had just finished washing the breakfast dishes with the help of Belle when Charming re-appeared from upstairs fully dressed for the day complete with shoulder gun holster, sword and Sheriff’s badge. Belle left the kitchen area to go check Regina’s temperature just as Charming entered it and pecked his wife on her lips.

“Are you going out?” she asked him.

He was currently the Sheriff so it was no surprise he would have to work but it didn’t mean she had to like spending time without him. When they were both able to keep busy it wasn’t an issue but she was too heavily pregnant to be much use to anyone other than act as Henry’s baby sitter. She had always been a woman of action so pottering around the house was getting increasingly boring.

“Yeah those flying monkeys are still out there” Charming replied as he poured himself some juice. “The dwarves stayed on patrol last night just in case there was any trouble. Ruby and Tink are covering the station today so I thought I would go out to the forest.”

After he finished talking her husband knocked the glass of juice back in one go and placed the glass back down on the counter with a heavy thud.

“The forest?” Snow enquired.

“Yeah there is an outlaw I want words with” her husband explained. He crammed his hands in the pockets of his jeans and gave her a look of steely determination.

 “You’re going after Robin Hood?” Snow asked. She could tell by the look on his face that he would not be talked out of seeking out the man that had apparently betrayed them but she did want to know what he planned to do to the outlaw.

Snow glanced across to the bedroom area where Regina lay and then back at Charming. They still had no idea how exactly Robin had gotten hold of Regina’s heart although Emma seemed to know more than she had told them. They also didn’t know why he had done such a thing because he and his men had seemed trustworthy and she couldn’t imagine how the Witch’s plan could benefit him.

“I just want an explanation off him” Charming admitted.

“And if you don’t like his explanation?” Snow asked. In giving Zelena the heart Robin’s actions had directly led to them being separated from their daughter yet again. It was playing on her mind so it was certainly playing on her husbands.

“Then there is a jail cell with his name on it” Charming muttered before walking away and putting his coat on.

“I’ll ring you once I’ve spoken to him” he assured her before heading out the door. Henry was still buried so deep in his book that he didn’t even notice his newly discovered granddad leave until the door slammed shut.

Snow wandered over to check on the quiet boy. She could understand his curiosity but she was worried that he was burying himself in the book to try and hide the fact he wasn’t coping with Emma’s absence. As she reached the sofa she realised he not only had the book on his knee but also a notebook and pen in which he was scribbling something.

“What are you doing?” she asked, trying to sound curios rather than like she was prying.

“Making a list of who everyone actually is” Henry explained. “I have Snow White, Prince Charming, the Evil Queen, Captain Hook, Rumpelstiltskin and I guessed who Arial and Eric were as they didn’t even bother to change their names. Can you tell me some more? Who are Belle, Ruby, Granny, Leroy and Dr Harper? I want to understand who everyone is.”

When he was the only person who knew about the curse other than Regina and Gold Henry had read the book from cover to cover again and again and managed to assemble a similar list without help. It was nice and familiar to see him exhibiting a similar desire and curiosity now.

“Well Ruby is Red Riding Hood and Granny is her grandma” Snow explained, “although that one’s a bit complicated because unlike the traditional version of the tale Red is actually the wolf too.”

“She’s a werewolf?!” Henry exclaimed as he scribbled down what she told him. “You know that is really cool right?!”

Snow chuckled at his declaration and decided it was best not to tell him that poor Ruby had ate her own boyfriend so it wasn’t always so cool. Belle had wandered over from the bedroom and was now stood at Snow’s side peering at Henry’s list too.

“Dr Harper is Jiminy Cricket, Leroy is Grumpy, one of the Dwarves and Belle is…Belle” Snow continued, smiling at the woman herself.

“As in Beauty and the Beast Belle?” Henry enquired inquisitively. “Does that mean the Beast here?”

Snow glanced to Belle who looked back at her and shrugged. In this world Rumpel looked and usually acted like any other man so describing him as a beast seemed strange. Henry’s books had illustrations though so he would probably understand even if Rumpel wasn’t the type of beast the classic fairy tales had described.

“He’s already on your list” Belle answered. She leant over the back of the sofa and pointed at the line that read ‘Mr Gold – Rumpelstiltskin’.

“My granddad?!” Henry exclaimed as he sat more upright. “Are you also my grandma then?”

Snow couldn’t help but laugh at the horror on Belle’s face at the idea of being anyone’s grandparent. She recognised the feeling well having experienced it when the curse broke and they were reunited with Emma and Henry with their true memories.

“Ohhhhh no!”  Belle chuckled as she spoke. “I am aiming to be your step grandma one day but don’t tell him that it may terrify him.”

Both women laughed again and Henry quirked an eyebrow before settling back down to his book and character list.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter and are enjoying the story so far. Remember...reviews make for happy writers x**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Storybrooke – Charming POV**

The Merry Men had been camped out by the town line since they had all found themselves in Storybrooke when the new curse was cast. After the stunt Robin had pulled David was unsurprised to find that when he drove out there the camp had suddenly moved. He was adept at tracking though and was able to follow the group’s movements through the forest until after an hour he reached a clearing were their crude tents and equipment was now set up.

There wasn’t a Merry Man in sight which meant they were probably out there in the trees watching him. David was in no mood for an ambush or unnecessary violence so he took charge of the situation instantly. He drew his gun but kept it facing down to the ground and called out into the surrounding forest.

“I’m here to talk so come out” he shouted. “I came alone.”

There was the sound of crunching leaves and twigs to the left of him so David turned slowly to face the approaching man. It was Robin himself who edged into the clearing with his crossbow armed and pointed in the Prince’s direction.

“You have some explaining to do” David instructed, keeping his gun low despite the fact the outlaw was pointing a weapon at him. Robin’s eyes flicked from side to side as he observed Charming’s body language and facial expression for any sign of dishonesty.

“Where is Zelena?” the outlaw asked as he copied David’s stance and lowered his weapon towards the floor too. Robin looked wearily around the tree line and Charming recognised the action. The outlaw was afraid of being overheard and David was curious to know if it was because he was ashamed to have the Merry Men hear or scared of one of Zelena’s simian cronies listening in. 

“Zelena escaped through a time travel portal and my daughter is now stuck over there with her trying to fix the mess you helped cause” David replied. “Now tell me why you did this.”

“The Witch used magic from the land she is from to view the past and discovered that the Queen was aware she had a true love in the Enchanted Forest. This man bore a lion tattoo on his right arm.”

Robin peeled the sleeve of his shirt up as he spoke and revealed the lion tattoo he himself bore. To David the mark looked an awful lot like the lion on his wife’s Royal Insignia. 

“When Zelena was in our land I had a run in with her and she saw my tattoo” the outlaw continued. “She promised she could prevent my wife’s death from ever having happened if I helped her….and if I didn’t she would kill my son.”

The Prince had sympathy for a man who missed his lost love and for a man who wanted to protect his child. He was a husband and a father himself and was well used to fighting for his family. He had always tried to live his life within the borders of what was right and not succumb to act wrongly just because it was an easier solution.

“Changing history is against every law of magic Robin” the Prince pointed out. “You must have known it was wrong?”    

“I said no several times believe me” Robin implored. “I even tried to hide in Rumpelstiltskin’s abandoned castle but eventually she discovered my location. By this point you had all began to re-materialise in the Enchanted Forest so the Witch decided she needed a quicker way to manipulate me to her will. She ripped out my heart.”

David was not well versed in the ways of magic and he knew there were probably many ways to use it to ‘manipulate’ someone. There was one way he was familiar with and that was to rip out somebodies heart.  Robin would have been terrified that if he didn’t do what she asked of him then she would crush his heart and leave his son parentless. Or Zelena could just completely control him using the enchanted heart she had taken.

 “Is it here in Storybrooke?” David asked.

“Yes I am sure of it so I tried looking for it at the farm house once whilst she was out but I couldn’t find it” Robin admitted. “I didn’t get to search fully though because I was interrupted.”

David was angry and frustrated that his daughter had yet again ended up apart from him and his wife again but it was not fair to blame Robin for that. The outlaw had been used by Zelena just as surely as Rumpelstiltskin had been.

“I suggest we go back to the farm and search again” he stated, his mind made up that he would help Robin find his heart.

The outlaw did a double take at his words and stepped closer. David couldn’t tell if the man looked more shocked or more suspicious. He had obviously not expected kindness after what had happened.

“Why would you help me?” Robin asked.

For David the answer was simple.

“Because it’s the right thing to do.”

 

 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**The Enchanted Forest - Hook POV**

After nearly four hours in the saddle Emma had finally conceded and allowed them to stop and dismount for a while so they could stretch their legs. They had found a clearing by the side of the road and Hook had taken the horses to the small stream that ran alongside the road to drink whilst Emma disappeared off into the forest for a toilet break.

After tying the horses up to a fallen tree so they could graze for a while Hook knelt by the small stream and splashed water onto is face. The seasons were different in the Enchanted Forest and although it was currently winter in Maine it was hot and humid in the forest. Even under the canopy of the Forest his skin felt hot to the touch after being exposed to so much sunlight.

They had another afternoon of consistent riding ahead of them and that would bring them close to the Royal Palace and into civilisation. He had once plundered the Palace when the Evil Queen had been banished reining there but that didn’t mean he knew how to get the both of them inside without being noticed. The Evil Queen didn’t have to have a strong personal royal guard because she had enough of a fear factor to keep most away. Leopold on the other hand would have the gates and corridors teeming with armed men.

Just as Hook took a seat on the fallen tree and retrieved his hip flask from his pocket. He unscrewed it and enjoyed a couple of longs sips just as Emma returned to the clearing and began to wash her hands in the stream.  

“There is a town not far away from the Palace which we should reach before nightfall” he opened up a conversation the second she rose to her feet. “I suggest we find ourselves lodging there at the local Inn.”

It seemed that everything he said irritated the blond during their current journey and she rolled her eyes at him for about the hundredth time since they had arrived through the portal.

“Is that flask of rum not enough for you?” she sniped.

“Could you kindly stop mocking me and listen to what I have to say” he snapped back instantly. He was trying to help and he was getting sick of being her punch bag. His words seemed to penetrate her foul mood and she looked apologetically back at him and gestured for him to continue. Now she was acting like an adult again he reached into the satchel he was carrying and passed her some salted pork and her water skin. She began to chew on the meat, cringing at its salty taste, as he tried to explain his plan.

“If you want to know what exactly is happening at this moment in time and therefore be able to make a plan to get inside the Palace and protect you mother...then the place to here all the gossip is the Inn. People talk when they are drunk Swan.”

“Is that why you never shut up?” she quipped between mouthfuls of food.

Killian knew that it was meant as a joke this time but it still frustrated him that she couldn’t just be serious or civil with him for a moment. Her walls were well and truly raised as were her heckles.

“Sorry I’m just a little tense” she apologised on seeing his disappointed face.

“You are always tense” he remarked, his mouth running away with him before his brain caught up. “Perhaps it’s all those pent up feelings. You should start letting them out a bit more.”

The second he said it Hook knew he should have kept his mouth shut. He was causing his own problems with all these flirtatious comments. All this comment drew was an eye roll before she turned away from him and finished her lunch. Killian was sure the conversation had ended until after a couple of minutes of awkward silence she turned back towards him.

“I love my son and I love my parents” she stated. The blonde’s tone was calm but her eyes implored him to take her seriously. “I was once in love with Neal and he will always hold a place in my heart because accidently or not he gave me Henry. I don’t have a problem with having feelings Killian. Perhaps you need to stop and consider that I just don’t have the kind of feelings you want me to have.”

As much as it stung he continued to look at her as she spoke. He couldn’t claim to have a very good inbuilt lie detector or super power like the blond claimed to have but he honestly didn’t sense she was lying. No matter what he wanted or how much he wanted her she apparently did not feel the same. It stung to be a fleeting attraction. It stung that everyone knew how he felt and would know he had been rejected. He had felt pain many times before though and he was more than capable of pushing it down deep inside and ignoring it.

“Are you ready to ride on then Swan” he asked casually, responding to her look of surprise with a forced smirk.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Storybrooke – Charming POV**

 

David had routed around the upstairs of the farm house for over thirty minutes. He had looked under every piece of furniture and every mattress. He had looked through every draw and chest and routed in every coat pocket and bag. He had come up completely empty handed.

A loud bang from downstairs caught his attention so he headed down to see what Robin was doing. A wave of destruction met him as he reached the bottom of the stairs. The sideboard in the hall was tossed over and he could see through an open door in the living room where the furniture was in similar disarray. He found the outlaw in the kitchen emptying all the cupboards out. When Robin realised he was there he offered a frustrated grunt in way of a greeting.

 “I have totally dismantled every room down here and there is no sign of it” Robin informed him.

“I can see that” David remarked as he looked around all the cutlery, plates, pans and tins littering the floor. “There was nothing upstairs to suggest a Witch had even been here other than some very strange outfits and an assortment of crazy hats.”

Robin remained seated by the last cupboard he had emptied and rubbed his face with his hands. David could see the defeated look on the outlaws face but he wasn’t ready to stop looking quite yet.

“Do you think she took it with her?” Robin asked.

David shook his head as the idea just didn’t sit right with him. There was no way the Witch would have bothered to take it with her and she only carried a small satchel in which she only had space for the three talismans she needed. Then it dawned on him…they were looking in the wrong place.

“Hang on…we know she was brewing potions yet there are no ingredients or glass vials in the house. That means she was brewing them somewhere else” David surmised. “Follow me”

Robin picked up his crossbow and jumped to his feet. David led the other man out of the farm house and across the grassed area in front until they reached the bunker Emma and Hook had discovered the first time they fell across the farm.

“This is where she was keeping Rumpelstiltskin” David explained as he swung the bunker door open.

Robin did not stand on ceremony and stormed straight in. David followed steadily and glanced around. It looked no different than the last time he had been down here. The room was dark, damp and empty apart from the cell and spinning wheel. Robin began to feel around the walls as the Prince searched for the light. Finally he found the rope and pulled on it. The paltry single light bulb gave a little light but it was still very dim.

“Over here” Robin called out. As he spoke there was a strange grinding sound and the suddenly a wall panel slid to the side revealing another small room.

David bound over to the new opening and flicked on the light switch. Inside the room there were shelves of ingredients and in the middle of the room a large workbench. On top of the work bench was scattered bits of ingredients, vials and a strange contraption that looked like a chemistry set.

Robin began to route around the shelves and David headed over to a large chest that caught his eye under the workbench. He pulled the chest out and opened it up. Inside there was another much smaller decorative wooden chest with red rubies and gold gilding.

He took out the much smaller chest and placed it on the workbench. There was a light thudding sound emanating from the box which sounded very much like a heartbeat.

“Robin” David called to gain the other man’s attention.

Robin glanced over from the shelf he was searching and when he saw the box he instantly stopped and headed over to David. The two stood side by side as David opened the box to reveal a glowing heart.

“At least she put it somewhere safe for you” he remarked at their discovery.

Robin reached into the box and plucked out the heart, wasting no time in pressing it back into his own chest.

“Feeling okay?” David asked as he watched the outlaw slam his eyes shut and cringe at the rush of emotions he was feeling. After a few seconds Robin re-opened his eyes and nodded. His face had now returned to its normal expression.

“Yes” the outlaw responded, “thank you.”

Charming nodded and headed back out of the bunker and up the stairs. There seemed to be little else of interest at the farm now so he needed to go back to the station and check in on Ruby and Tink.

“How is Regina?” the outlaw suddenly asked, causing David off-guard as he hadn’t realised the other man had followed him.

Although Robin had explained why he had helped Zelena the outlaw had avoided mentioning Regina’s name at all during their earlier conversations. Obviously with the return of his heart he was now feeling a considerable amount of guilt for his actions.

“The spell uses the energy from Regina’s heart so if Emma doesn’t stop Zelena soon then she will die” David replied honestly.

“I may not the right man with the lion tattoo” Robin said sadly, “but despite her former reputation she really is a good person and I am sorry about what happened.”

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Storybrooke - Snow POV**

Belle had gone home at around three in the afternoon and Rumpel had returned to take her place at Regina’s bedside. He had begun the process of brewing a new potion to help the brunette but the final ingredient would have to soak for ten hours until it could be added. So until then they had to hope Regina’s body fought the effects of her heart being drained without magical aid.

By five in the afternoon Snow had been sat at the brunette’s side reading Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ out loud for about an hour in the hope that Regina could hear her familiar voice and take comfort in it. After experiencing a sleeping potion herself Sow was doubtful it would work but she felt the need to do something.

Rumpel, who had been sat in the living area with Henry reading some sort of spell book came back in at five to check Regina’s temperature yet again. However this time, unlike the previous times he shook his head and clicked his tongue indicating something was wrong.

“What is it?” Snow asked him as she placed a bookmark in the page she was on and placed the book down.

“Her temperature is starting to rise” Rumpel admitted as he went through the process of cleaning and restoring the thermometer again.

“We need to treat the symptoms. Her body will start to fever so we must endeavour to keep the fever down. I suggest we all wrap up warm and open the windows so she can get some cool fresh air. Make sure she keeps the blankets on but use damp cloths to try and lower the temperature.”

Snow climbed to her feet as quickly as possible for a heavily pregnant woman and headed towards the living area of the apartment. Meanwhile Rumpel opened one of the large bedroom windows. Henry was still sat on the sofa reading the book. He had literally only stopped all day to eat, get a drink for him-self or go the toilet.

“Henry did you here that” Snow called across the room, “put your jumper back on and wrap the throw around you.”

She knew he had heard her when he placed the book down and picked his jumper up from the other end of the sofa. Snow headed into the bathroom and found a couple of clean flannel cloth’s that would be suitable to use on Regina. The former Evil Queen probably wouldn’t appreciate the pastel pink colour of them if she was conscious but as it stood the brunette wouldn’t know a thing about it.

After finding the cloth’s Snow turned her attention to the kitchen. She routed around the cupboard until she found one of her large mixing bowls and began to fill it with cool water.

Once she’d filled it to about half way Snow turned the tap off and placed the bowl on the work surface. When she looked up she found that Henry was stood on the other side of the counter holding his book out to her. The page contained an illustration of Regina stood in front of her carriage dressed all in black bar a billowing purple cloak.

“I’ve been reading this book and I can’t find one good thing about the person who is meant to have brought me up. I’ve spent time with her though…here…as the Mayor…as a friend of my moms. She was nice and friendly and kind.”

 _Oh god_ Snow thought to herself, this was a really serious conversation he wanted to have with her and she did not want to mess this up. She was sure if she did then when Emma returned she would feel her daughter’s wrath.

“Henry…” she managed to say his name before pausing. She wasn’t sure how an earth to go about this conversation but luckily the boy gave her something to latch on to.

“My mom said that she is more than the book?” he asked desperately. His eyes implored her for answers and she took a deep breath before trying to give him some.

“Things happened back in the Enchanted Forest that shaped and changed us all” she explained, “here in Storybrooke we have found the chance to start again. You were the reason for Regina to turn her life around. I know right now it must be strange to hear but she loves you very much.”

Henry’s brow crinkled as he obviously thought deeply about her words but then he surprised Snow by placing the book down on the counter and picking up the bowl. She followed him through to the bedroom carrying the cloths and he placed the bowl down on the bedside table before retreating to the armchair furthest away from the bed. Rumpel, who had obviously overheard the conversation in the kitchen, headed back into the other part of the apartment to give them some privacy.

“Can you tell me about her?” Henry asked as Snow settled down in the chair right next to Regina’s bed. She dampened one cloth in the water and laid it across the unconscious woman’s brow. Her actions gave her a little time to compose her answer.

“I honestly don’t know much about her early years Henry but how about we start with the first time Regina and I met?” Snow offered.

Henry nodded his head in response and brought his legs up onto the armchair so they were tucked underneath him. He pulled one of the fleece blankets around his shoulders; obviously ready to settle down and listen to some stories. Once he looked comfortable Snow began the tale of that first meeting.

“I was still a young girl, mourning the loss of a mother who meant the world to me. One day I was travelling with my father and some of his subjects when the horse I was riding ran off with me. It was galloping and I couldn’t stop. I was so scared so I screamed and screamed. Then a young woman who had seen I was in trouble came galloping up alongside me and pulled me onto her horse. That woman…well she was Regina.”

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**The Enchanted Forest – Emma POV**

Hook had been correct when he said they would reach the town before it went dark. He had led them to the local Inn where their horses had been stabled and they had been assigned two rooms. Now they were sat in the Inn with a jug sized portion of real ale each and a meal of roast pork and potatoes. The food was dry and plain and the ale was strong but it was better than nothing.

Conversation had been minimal between the two of them since there brief talk at lunch time. They had ridden in silence for the rest of the day and they were now eating in silence. So it surprised Emma when Hook suddenly grasped her wrist and spoke to her.

“Listen Swan try not to overreact about this but the Robin Hood of the past has just walked in.”

Emma turned in her seat to see Robin and a couple of other men she didn’t recognise standing by the bar. The outlaw was several years younger and more carefree looking than the man that now resided in Storybrooke with them.

In truth she was angry with the man she saw before her even though she knew it was irrational. This man had done nothing wrong yet and Emma knew more than anyone that life shaped people and their actions. Something had drove Robin Hood, the man who legendarily stole from the rich and gave to the poor, to help the Witch.

“You okay?” Hook asked as she observed the other man by the bar.

Robin and his friends made their way to a free table and sat down. Once the outlaw was comfortably sat on the stool he removed his coat and rolled the sleeves of his white shirt up. His lion tattoo was prominent even across the room and it reminded Emma of the conversation she had with Regina before she had taken the sleeping curse. The blond wasn’t sure why learning that a man with a lion tattoo was fated to be Regina’s true love bothered her so much. It filled her with the same tense and anxious feeling she had gotten when she saw Robin kiss the brunette outside Granny’s. It was that feeling that felt a lot like jealousy.

 “Yeah…actually I think I might try to talk to him” Emma replied, not even turning back to look at the Pirate.

“I doubt very much he can help us in this time Swan” Hook remarked. The man tugged on her arm so she turned to look at him again. She could see the nervous look in his eyes and she knew he feared she would do something drastic and cause a scene. Emma smiled reassuringly at him as she genuinely did just want to ask the outlaw a question.

“Wait here” she instructed the Pirate before getting up and leaving him sat at the table with no time to protest.

There was a space next to Robin available on the bench on which he was sat. Emma approached the table slowly and sat in the space so she was facing away from the table and the two friends opposite Robin.

“Hey” she directly greeted the outlaw. He put his drink down and sat up, nodding politely at her even though he was clearly confused by her sudden presence. “I’m sorry to bother you but I was wondering if I could ask you about your tattoo?”

He looked down at his own right arm and the large black lion tattoo.

“What about it?” he asked.

“I met someone else with an identical one once and it seems odd that two people should have such a distinctive design on the same arm” Emma explained. It was true enough for her story to be convincing.

“There a few other men like myself out there who have this mark but our numbers are dwindling” Robin replied solemnly. His answer gave little away but Emma pressed on.

“Men like you?” she enquired, trying to sound as innocent and girly as possible even though it made her feel like vomiting.

Robin glanced at his companions before bringing his leg over the bench and shuffling so he was sat facing the same way as her.

“Have you ever heard of the Panthera?” the outlaw asked, keeping his voice low. When she shook her head he sighed and continued. “They were an elite royal guard whose sole purpose was to protect the family of the King no matter what the cost. They were made up of the bravest and most noble born knights in the Kingdom. To earn the right to be one of these Knights a man must do something brave, selfless and honourable.”

So Robin had been a royal Knight she mused and not just any old Knight. How had this man who by his own description must have been of noble birth ended up living rough in a forest with a band of outlaws? He was probably a man with an interesting story to tell but she was still far more interested in the mark he bore. It was a mark that looked incredibly similar to something she’d seen in a picture in Henry’s precious book.

“The lion is the royal crest right?” Emma asked. When Robin looked at her suspiciously she felt the need to explain her ignorance. “I’m not from around here.”

Robin reached behind him and grabbed his pot of ale. He took several deep swigs before placing the ale back down on the table.

“It was the original royal crest yes although the crest was altered when King Leopold married his first wife the Queen Ava” the outlaw explained. “The lion represents the warrior but the new crest also contains the flowers which represent peace and diplomacy. On the new crest the layout is significant…the lion is at the bottom and the flower at the top. It symbolises that although it is a kingdom of Warriors it is a peaceful kingdom which strives for peaceful settlements over war.”

Emma had never had much time for the meaning of signs and symbols. The most exposure she had ever had to the field was watching the Da Vinci Code. However she understood how powerful the imagery on something like a royal crest could be.  It was intriguing that Regina’s supposed true love should not only bare the symbol of Snow White’s family crest but also have been a guard who had possibly once been charged with guarding her. Irony just didn’t cover it. It was nearly as ironic as the Saviour and the Evil Queen. Not that it was worth thinking about the possibility now she had lost the brunette. She would drive herself mad.

“And all these Panthera Knights were branded?” Emma enquired, redirecting her mind with some difficulty back to the present…or technically the past.

“Oh no” Robin chuckled as he corrected her, “this is no mortal mark. There was a spell cast by a Wizard from long ago which branded these Knight’s upon their brave action.” 

Emma was totally taken off guard by the outlaw’s explanation. It had surprised her enough to think that each soldier had been chosen and then given a tattoo to demarcate them as special but a magical mark well that was quite something else. There was probably a long and interesting story to be told about the initiation of the Knights and the Wizard Robin mentioned but Emma didn’t have time for a history lesson. One thing she was curious about though was why Robin was no longer a member of this elite order.

 “You speak of these Knight’s in the past tense” Emma commented. “What happened to them?”

“They were disbanded several years ago by King Leopold” Robin replied. “It was said he feared the influence and power of these knights especially as magic chose these men not his royal highness. It’s crazy if you ask me because now there are only average soldiers guarding the family and the citadel.”

“Seriously?! You mean he has the same soldiers guarding him as he does patrolling this forest?” Emma exclaimed. “That is crazy.”

When the outlaw nodded at her statement a plan started to form quickly in Emma’s mind. If she wanted to prevent Zelena getting to Snow White then Emma needed to get close enough to her mother to protect her.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**The Enchanted Forest - Hook POV**

Hook had sat patiently and waited for Emma to return to the table like she had ordered. Her conversation with the outlaw baffled him especially as it seemed so civil.

 

“What was that all about?” Hook asked as Emma took her seat opposite him again. She began to tuck into the remaining food on her plate even though it was most definitely cold by now.

“His tattoo” Emma replied between mouthfuls of cold potato.

Hook looked at the blond blankly. No matter how much he racked his brains he couldn’t think of a reason why the outlaw’s body art could be of any significance to them. She’d have to explain that one to him.

“And how exactly is Robin Hood’s tattoo going to help us love?” he drawled.

The blond looked up at him and finished chewing her mouthful of food. Once her mouth was clear she smirked.

“It isn’t” she stated.

Hook knew he must look completely dumbfounded because that is exactly how he felt. If there was no purpose to her actions then why did she go sit and talk to Robin. Unless the tattoo was in some way significant and she was hiding something from him. Hook didn’t like that idea one little bit.

Suddenly Emma stopped devouring her cold food and put her cutlery down. Her eye line was drawn across the room again and when Hood looked in the same direction he found she was staring at the table where Robin was sat again.

“What are you looking at?” he asked, unable to hide his irritation in the blonde’s new found interest in bloody Robin Hood.

“Can’t you see that green light?” Emma muttered, her eyes never leaving the outlaw stood across the room to them.

 _Wonderful_ , Hook thought. _Now she thinks the outlaw has a bloody halo or something_. He knew something was stopping Emma from being with him but he didn’t expect it to be someone; especially not some tree hugging forest inhibiting double crossing ponce.

It was only when Hook snuck another glance at the blond then he realised she was totally serious and actually quite concerned about something. Emma could see something magical that was hidden from the common man.

“What green light?” he asked the blond. “What can you see?”

The blonde’s face shifted from confusion, to understanding and then a small smile appeared on her features.

“Pixie dust!” Emma suddenly exclaimed. The blond leapt up suddenly, her knees bashing into the table causing Hook to jump. Then before Hook had a chance to ask what the hell was going on Emma was dashing towards the door of the Inn. It took him several seconds to take in what had happened before he downed the last of his ale and followed Emma out at a more sedate pace.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Storybrooke - Henry POV**

“Peter Pan must have wondered what the hell hit him. I think he was convinced if there was anyone his tree would contain it would be Regina. Yet there she was announcing she wouldn’t change a thing because her choices, as terrible as some of them have been, had led her to you.”

Henry had remained curled up on the armchair listening to Mary Margaret’s stories about the woman he had apparently lived with for over ten years. Some of the stories had been hard to listen too as they didn’t portray the Mayor very kindly but many of the stories about their time in Storybrooke and in Neverland were a lot more positive. Mary Margaret was certainly giving him the impression that Regina loved him very much even if she hadn’t always shown it very well.

It was still hard to take in all the fairy tale stuff but it did explain why everyone had been so strange since he had arrived. They had all known him even though they had tried to act otherwise and his mom, Mary Margaret and David’s close relationship made far more sense now. It also explained the Mayor’s strange reaction to him on the first day he saw her in Granny’s as was her comment at the duck pond about him one day having more family then he would know what to do with. He was practically related to half the town and even there were some he wasn’t related to by blood but was strongly connected to like the Dwarves and Little Red Riding Hood.

“Then just like that Regina broke free from the bonds and ripped out your heart from...”

 Just as Mary Margaret had arrived at a really interesting point in her latest story she stopped. Henry, who had closed his eyes whilst listening to her tale, opened his eyes to see what was wrong. The Mayor, Regina, was visibly shaking and her body twitched several times before settling again.

“Gold!” Mary Margaret called out, her voice laced with panic.

Mr Gold was with Belle in the kitchen area helping to prepare an evening meal for everyone but when he heard the panicked shout he came hobbling into the bedroom area. David, who had been setting the table, followed him in and came to stand by his wife’s side. Mr Gold ran his hand over Regina, a red magical hue emanating from his hand. The older man looked concerned as he gazed down at the Mayor.

“Her condition is worsening” Mr Gold said with a frown. “Perhaps we should ring the hospital and have them bring around an IV so we can get some fluids into her. During a normal sleeping curse one’s body is kept in stasis so eating and drinking is unnecessary. However other forces are at play here and her fever is causing her to sweat.”

It was weird to think of science being used to try and slow down magic. In the children’s books Henry had read then magic was always made out to sound all powerful yet here was a powerful magician suggesting they call for medical help.

“I’ll ring them” David was the first to reply. The man Henry now knew as one of his granddad’s disappeared back into the living space to make the call. 

Mary Margaret rose awkwardly to her feet and picked up the mixing bowl of water they had been using to try and lower the Mayor’s temperature.

“I’m going to refill this with cold water” the woman stated before following her husband from the bedroom.

The disappearance of David and Mary Margaret left Henry and Mr Gold alone with the Mayor. For the first time since his mother had revealed to him the extent of his previous relationship with the brunette Henry dared to approach her unconscious form. It was gradually feeling more real to him now that he had skim read a lot of the book, listened to Mary Margaret’s stories, heard David explain about how he had helped return Robin Hood’s heart today and watched Rumpelstiltskin perform magic.

Henry approached the bed and stood at the opposite side to Mr Gold who was lost deep in concentration as he studied the Mayor’s still form. This man was one of Henry’s grandparents and father to the dad Henry may never be able remember. Henry found that fact upsetting but he knew Mr Gold must be hurting more knowing his son had died for him.

“I’m sorry you lost your son” Henry said sincerely.

The grey haired man looked up at him in surprise before his expression turned to a soft but sad smile.

“Thank you Henry...I’m sorry you don’t remember him” Mr Gold replied. “Although once we have solved this particular problem I think I can help bring your memories back if you would like that?”

“You can help me remember?” Henry instantly felt excitement bubbling up inside of him although he tried to remain calm. “I’d be able to remember her?”

As he spoke he looked down at the shaking woman lying on the bed and wrapped in blankets. The tales in the book should terrify him but after hearing Mary Margaret’s stories and having spent time with Regina since being in Storybrooke Henry really wanted the chance to remember his past with her. In his memories it had always just been him and Emma but he wanted a family. He also felt a pull towards the brunette and wanted her to have her happiness back. It was nice to be told that he was so important to someone.

“Yes Henry, I can” Gold finally replied.

Just as Mr Gold answered Mary Margaret re-appeared with the mixing bowl of water and some fresh flannels.

“Here we go” she said as she stepped between Henry and the bed, placing the bowl down on the bedside table. She went to pull the armchair she had previously vacated back to the bed so she could start dabbing Regina’s forehead again but Henry reached out to stop her.

“I want to do it” he stated. As he spoke he pressed through the small gap between Snow and the bedside table and began to soak one of the flannels in the bowl.

“Henry I don’t think...” Mary Margaret started to protest but he cut her off as politely as possible.

“She’s my mom” he said determinedly, “It should be me.”

The pregnant woman didn’t protest again but he had to look away to avoid her worried eyes. He turned his focus to wringing out the flannel so it was just damp and climbed onto the bed next to the Mayor. He had never had to nurse anyone before but he had watched Mary Margaret dab Regina’s forehead at various intervals all evening. So after brushing some of the brunette’s hair which had strayed back onto her forehead away he reached out and began to gently dab her heated skin.

The two adults stood and watched him for a short while before backing out the room and giving him some space. He could hear their hushed chatter from the next room.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke - Gold POV**

“I don’t think we should encourage this” Charming declared the second they joined him in the living area. “There is every chance that Regina could die and Henry will be left heartbroken that he has lost yet another parent he can’t remember.”

Rumpel glanced back towards the direction of the bed where Henry sat nursing the former Evil Queen. He understood why the Prince wanted to protect the boy but unless he planned on wiping two days worth of Henry’s memories there was no going back now.

“It’s too late now he already knows” Snow argued. “And now he does know at least if all goes wrong he will feel like he has had some kind of relationship with Regina however minimal.”

It appeared that he and Snow White were of a similar mindset. Henry may not remember Regina right now but if they returned his memories to him at least he would know he had done everything he could to help care for her no matter what the outcome. It would hurt Henry more if he had sat in another room and never even said goodbye.

“I’m just worried...” Charming muttered. It was clear he was going to protest further once he’d thought of an argument so Rumpel decided to weigh in to the discussion of the side of Charming’s wife.

“We are all worried about Henry” he pointed out, “but he’s a clever boy and he can make his own choices.”

Charming and Snow looked surprised that he had spoke up. In the past he had never felt like he had the right to get truly involved in his grandson’s upbringing but he felt like he had earned the right after Neverland to be his granddad. So Rumpel ignored their surprised expressions and ploughed on with his argument.

“I agree with your wife. He knows the truth now and there is no going back from that. At least he feels he is doing something to help and in all honesty I have no idea how much of her current environment Regina is able to take in. If she can hear or sense anything then having Henry close could give her the strength she needs to fight.” 

Snow White had nodded along to all his points as he spoke but her husband looked less than impressed at Rumpel voicing an opinion.

“I didn’t ask you” the infuriating Prince dismissed him instantly.

Rumpel was determined not to back down. He had lost Bae but he wasn’t losing the right to be an important part of Bae’s son’s life.

 “I have as much right as you to discuss and make decisions involving our grandson” he declared firmly. He again caught Snow and Charming by surprise but this time Snow’s look was followed by a smile. The Prince looked between the two of them before nodding his head.

“Okay you’re right” Charming agreed slowly. “If you both think it’s for the best then I’ll support your decision.”

Rumpel was surprised by Charming’s concession but very pleased. When he glanced across towards Belle who was serving up their meal she smiled encouragingly at him with a glint of pride in her eyes.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**The Enchanted Forest – Emma POV**

 

When Emma had first seen the trail of magic that wound its way into the Inn and zeroed in on Robin Hood’s lion tattoo she had instantly suspected the Wicked Witch because of the green hue the magic contained. After a couple of seconds of thought she had realised there was another person she knew who’s magic was green and that was Tinkerbell.

It was amazing that Emma had stumbled into the exact Inn at the exact same time Tinkerbell was using her stolen fairy dust to find Regina’s true love. Of course if Tink was out there then so was Regina and that thought instantly brought Emma to her feet. The brunette was probably out there right now.

Emma’s feet seemed to work faster than her brain and she tore out of the Inn and into the street only to find it empty apart from the slight sound of scurrying from around the corner. It had taken her too long to figure out and Regina had already chickened out and left.  

The door to the Inn was flung open again behind her and Hook joined her in the street.

“What the hell Swan?!” he exclaimed, looking utterly un-amused by her strange behaviour. She was tempted not to answer him but then if she ignored him he would think she was going mad. If she was to save her mother and their future then she needed him on side and not doubting her sanity.

“Regina told me that Tinkerbelle led her to her true love using pixie dust” Emma explained. “It led them to an Inn where she saw a man with a lion tattoo. She must have already run away before I got out here though.”

Hook looked at her like she had grown another head. She didn’t expect him to understand her desire to see a younger Regina in the flesh. Emma didn’t fully understand the sudden need herself so if she didn’t get it then how could he.

“That’s what all of that was about in there with Robin Hood? You were asking the Queen’s true love twenty Questions?” Hook asked his tone exasperated. He threw his hand and hook up in the air in a clear sign of frustration with her. Not that she could see what is problem was.

“She must be nearby still” Emma continued, ignoring Hook’s question as she began to walk in the direction she had heard someone moving.

She didn’t get very far before Hook grasped her shoulder and pulled her roughly to a halt. When she didn’t turn to look at him he stepped around her so they were face to face. His hand remained on her shoulder, preventing her walking away again unless she wanted to wrestle with him.

“Emma what are you doing?” He asked gently. “What would you have said if she was still stood out here? She doesn’t know you here and if you do meet her here then what happens if she recognises you in…however many years…when you turn up in Storybrooke?”

Emma knew he was right. She had charged out into the street with her cloak hood down and completely exposed. There was every chance that even if Emma succeeded in stopping Zelena from changing the future then she would have affected the future anyway. If Regina had recognised her in the future, when Emma turned up with Henry on the night of her twenty eighth birthday, then there could have been trouble. No doubt Regina would have gone to Gold for answers and realised that it meant she would indeed break the curse. The brunette would probably change tactics from just butting heads with Emma to outright murdering her.

“I don’t know” she finally admitted to the Pirate.

When he saw that her demeanour had shifted from determined to defeated he released the grip on her shoulder whilst leaving his hand resting there.

“You need to stop and think Swan” Killian instructed kindly.

The problem was when Emma did stop and think her mind wandered to the woman she had last seen lying unconscious in her parents apartment. Despite all there fights and disagreements and despite the knowledge of Regina’s past Emma still couldn’t stop herself from caring about the brunette’s fate. It was hurting her. It was hurting as much as the loss of Neal if not more so. She had been able to cry and mourn Henry’s father but right now in the knowledge that Regina was gone Emma just felt utterly numb from the pain. So numb it had taken her all day to finally understand that’s what she was feeling.

“You said she was probably dead” Emma mumbled.

Hook dropped his hand to his side and tilted his head to observe her. Now Emma was trying to talk about Regina she felt the pain keenly and she had to fight back the tears that threatened to erupt.

“Even if we succeed then Regina is probably already dead” Emma repeated before going on to try and explain herself. “I just…I didn’t get to really say goodbye and I had only just started to get to know the woman underneath the mask of the Evil Queen. I just thought that if I could talk to her here and see how she was then it would be a fitting farewell. I just need the chance to say goodbye.”

Emma turned away as she spoke of wanting the chance to say goodbye to give herself some space. She had got through her explanation without crying but her own words had been a revelation to herself. She, Emma Swan, had been jealous of Robin Hood when he had kissed Regina. She was jealous he could be the other woman’s true love. She was jealous because the idea of Robin and his cute little son threatened Emma’s idea of her perfect little family. She was jealous because somewhere deep inside she had thought if anyone would sweep Regina of her feet it would be her. She was jealous because she wanted Regina, Henry and herself to be a real family. She was devastated because that was no longer possible. Somehow that feeling had snuck up on her and hit her like a truck just when it was too late.

“Why did you turn down my marriage proposal?” Hook suddenly asked. Emma wanted to shout at him for making this conversation about him but she didn’t have the energy to argue about it at this moment in time. She had already given too much of her heart away to him during this conversation and she didn’t want to reveal any more when she was still struggling with its contents.

“I’ve told you why” she dismissed his question. The blond hoped that if she remained with her back to him then he would take the hint and leave the conversation alone at least for tonight. She had no such luck. The Pirate repeated his earlier actions and stepped around her so they were face to face again only this time with a more respectful distance between them.

“No I think you only told me a half truth” he pried. “Tell me Swan; are you in love with Regina?”

The blond felt every muscle in her body tense at his words. She was only just realising all this for herself and she really didn’t need his advice or belittlement on the matter.

“Shut up Hook” Emma warned. He went to grasp her shoulder again but she pulled back and out of reach, her temper now frayed.

“Emma…” he began to pester again but she stopped him in his tracks.

“Just SHUT UP!” she ordered him. “It has nothing to do with you so leave me alone.”

To his credit the Pirate saw sense and backed right of her. He nodded his head in understanding but his face held such disappointment. Emma felt bad for him and his pitiful expression but on the other hand she was glad he would finally understand his hopes were truly dashed. Although knowing Hook he would just shrug it off and decide that Regina was dead too like Neal which left him as the best suitor still living for her.

Just as the Pirate raised his hand to gesture he was leaving the topic well alone there was a loud and panicked female shout from only a street or so away. Emma recognised the voice immediately. It was Regina and she was in trouble.

“Regina!” Emma exclaimed before reaching out and drawing Hook’s sword from his scabbard. She raced off in the direction of the shout, pulling the hood of her cloak up as she went.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Thank you to all the people that have read, reviewed, favourite or put this story on alerts so far. It all keeps me very keen to write more. This is going to be a pretty long fic. I’ve planned it out as much as possible and I think it’s going to be around 25 chapters perhaps more. Enjoy chapter 12...it’s young Regina time...**

**The Enchanted Forest – Emma POV**

 

Emma was vaguely aware of Hook following her as she ran down the street but he seemed to drop away from her as she rounded the corner. She came face to face with two rather drunk and lecherous looking men who had a young brunette in their grasp. The brunette was in a long white flowing dress and if it wasn’t for the fact Emma already knew it was Regina she would have had to do a double take to recognise her.

“Let her go” Emma instructed, holding the sword out in front of her so they could see her clear threat.

Both men released the young brunette but remained standing between the two women. One of the men stepped forward and tried to leer at her. She wasn’t sure what an earth he thought he was looking at considering her body was covered by a hideous sack dress and her face was largely covered by the hooded cloak she was wearing.

“You know what to do with that girl?” he slurred before suddenly jumping at her.

The blond sidestepped his attack and swung the sword round making sure to catch the back of his thigh. It left a nasty gash there causing the man to stumble, fall and cry out in pain. Without waiting another second Emma swung around again and brought the sword so the point was an inch away from the other man’s face.

“Your move” Emma growled menacingly.

This second drunken man looked unwilling to repeat the same mistake as the first and backed away slowly, raising his hands to indicate he was giving in. When he reached his friend he pulled him to his feet and the two of them stumbled away.

Emma watched them go, her back partially to the woman she rescued. Once they were out of sight she turned to the brunette who stood nervously in the middle of the street still. She looked different from the Regina of Storybrooke. Her hair was a good deal longer, she was several years younger and the pure white dress gave her a far more angelic look than the Mayor’s power suites and designer clothing. There was no outward hint of the darkness to come. Emma was almost disappointed that she wasn’t going to get a view of Regina in the Evil Queen outfits she had seen in Henry’s book.

“Are you alright?” she asked the shaken looking brunette.

 “Yes thanks to you” the young Regina replied as she eyed Emma nervously, “unless you are also a threat to me?”

The blond realised she still had Hook’s sword in her raised hand which must indeed appear threatening. Emma dropped her hand down so the sword hung limply at her side and she reached out to the brunette with her left hand.

 “You are safe with me” she promised. Regina looked at the outstretched hand but was visibly conflicted. Emma couldn’t help but smile at the adorable worry lines on the brunette’s face. It was an expression Emma was familiar with having seen it many times in Neverland whilst searching for their son.  

“You keep your faces hidden” the brunette pointed out. “Are you outlaws?”

Emma looked back over her shoulder to find that Hook was now stood a few feet behind her in the shadows. Or at least she presumed it was him as the figure was the right height and build. Apparently he had stopped to steal someone’s cloak on route so he now had his face largely covered by a hood.

“We are travellers through this land” Emma assured Regina, “but our secrecy is imperative.”

As the blond spoke the pirate made his way into the middle of the street so he was stood to the side of her. He reached out and took his sword back, replacing it in its sheaf. Regina seemed more confident now he was no longer lurking in the shadows.

“You saved me from those men so I will not speak of our meeting to anyone” the young brunette promised.

“You are a distance away from your Palace you Majesty” Hook joined the conversation. “How do you intend to return home?”

“I...” the young Regina stuttered nervously, “I did not expect to be recognised.”

Emma threw a sideways glare at the Pirate for putting the brunette on edge again after she’d only just reassured the young Regina that they meant her no harm. They were claiming no familiarity with Regina or the kingdom yet Hook had just given away the fact they knew who she was. The blond needed to think on her feet and explain this and quickly.

“The Kingdom is abuzz of talk about the Kings new young and beautiful wife” Emma stated, her tone a little more reverent than she had meant it to sound. “Many say you are the fairest in the land.”

She just caught sight of Hook rolling his eyes and turning away out of the corner of her eye. After trying to deny so vigorously to him that she had feelings for Regina before she was doing a poor job pretending otherwise now. 

“Thank you but I am reliably told that honour falls to his insipid daughter” Regina replied, matching the pirates eye roll with one of her own.

Emma knew that if Regina was married to Leopold then Daniel was already gone. She wasn’t sure how she had pictured the deterioration of Regina and Snow’s relationship from that point onwards or if she’d ever really thought about it. In her head she supposed she had just presumed it had flipped from one extreme to another but apparently that wasn’t the case. Regina’s tone suggested a little dislike towards the Princess but there was still an underlying fondness there too. There was no vengeance fuelled rage present yet.

“How DO you intend to return to the castle?” Hook asked again, breaking the silence that had fallen over them as Emma’s thoughts ran off with her. The brunette shrugged just like any typical teenager would.

“If I start walking now I should be there before sunrise” she replied.

Emma looked at the young Regina in horror. They were still some distance away from the palace and after having to save the brunette once she didn’t like the idea of just letting her roam the countryside on her own. Emma was sure Regina was having magic lessons by now with Rumpelstiltskin but clearly the brunette wasn’t confident enough or able to use it on the two drunken idiots. There was no way Emma was going to let her walk on her own even if their future shows that Regina will arrive home safely.

“I think I would be failing in my civic duty if I allowed the Queen to walk alone after nightfall” Emma said gallantly. She smirked when Regina smiled and blushed at her in response. Apparently teenage Regina was receptive to a bit of flirtation.

“Fetch our horses” Emma ordered Hook. She angled her body away from Regina so the brunette wouldn’t see her magic some more gold coins out of thin air. “You better purchase another too I think.”

He rolled his eyes at her yet again as he accepted the coins. She hadn’t meant to sound quite so demanding; a please probably wouldn’t have gone amiss.

“Sure you don’t want to share with her” Hook muttered under his breath so only Emma and not Regina could hear him. The blond gave him a sharp glare but he merely bowed sarcastically in response and began to march back towards the Inn.

When Emma turned back towards the brunette she found that the young Regina was looking at her with a mixture of awe and confusion. For a horrible second Emma though Regina may have seen her magic trick but when the brunette spoke Emma’s fears were alleviated.

“You are of Royal blood?” the young Queen asked.

“Pardon?” Emma responded. The brunette’s question had caught her by surprise.

The two started to walk back slowly towards the Inn. Hopefully by the time they had reached the stables next door then Hook would have the three horses tacked up.

“He followed your commands like a knight would his master” Regina explained her observation as they walked side by side. Emma had never considered herself regal and was about as un-princess like as she could possibly be. However it was quite astute of Regina to notice her authority over their male travel companion. She could hardly tell the brunette it was half because she was the saviour and half because he followed her around like a kicked puppy.

“I suppose I am by birth” Emma finally replied. “I never think of myself as such.”

Regina ambled alongside her in silence again until they reached the stables by the Inn. Emma was about to step inside and hurry Hook up when the brunette reached out and grasped her arm. Emma turned towards the young Regina and found herself looking into young and vulnerable brown eyes.

“Why are you doing this for me?” the brunette asked. “People don’t usually go out of their way to help me.”

Emma wondered what Regina’s life would have been like if people had reached out for her. What kind of person would Regina have been if Cora had been a loving mother? Would she just be an older version of the girl Emma could now see before her? Without the loss of Daniel, without Rumpelstiltskin pushing her down the darkest paths who would Regina have been? Would she have had children of her own and found happiness?

“Well one good deed usually leads to another” Emma replied quietly, still deep in thought. “Perhaps one day you will return the favour.”

If Emma succeeded then one day the brunette was going to repay the favour with interest. She was going to be the woman that brought up and loved Henry. She was going to die at the hand of a half sister she didn’t even know she had.

Just as Emma‘s mind ventured into dark places there was the distinctive clip clop sound of horses approaching from the stables behind. She turned to find Hook approaching with her horse Thunder and a grey horse he must have just acquired for Regina.

“Your steeds await you” Hook announced dramatically, bowing his head as he spoke.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke - Charming POV**

Sudden loud music caused Charming to jerk awake. Snow shifted and groaned beside him as he felt around on the bedside table for his mobile phone. The bed and the room was unfamiliar to him as it was Emma’s room not his and his wife’s. The unconscious Regina was downstairs in their bed so they were forced into using the upstairs loft room instead.

They had managed to settle Henry to sleep on the sofa after he had sat with Regina for a couple of hours. Gold and Belle had gone home to sleep for four hours whilst Snow and Charming kept an eye on Regina. Then at three in the morning they had swapped over again and he and his wife had gone to bed upstairs whilst Gold and Belle watched over Regina.  As the alarm clock by the bed read 5.30am it meant that Charming had only had two hours sleep.

Finally Charming found the vibrating phone and answered it without looking who was calling. It had to be important if someone was ringing his so early in the morning.

 “David” he greeted, resting the phone against his ear as he remained slumped in bed.

“Hey it’s Ruby” the familiar voice of the waitress and Deputy greeted back. “You need to get down to the main street right now.”

David sat up in the bed and rubbed his face roughly with his hand. He was bleary eyes and dazed from so little sleep.

“What’s going on?” he asked, trying to stifle a yawn but failing miserably.

“We have a flying monkey attack” Ruby replied, her voice deadly serious, “they are literally swarming the place.”

That did not sound good. Ever since they had discovered the flying monkeys were people from Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest who the Witch had cursed he had dreaded an attack from the creatures. How do you deal with crazy vicious flying monkeys without possibly hurting or killing them?

“Shit okay I’m on my way” he replied after a slight delay. He didn’t bother waiting for her to reply before ending the call.

He rolled of the bed and onto his feet. Snow had brought a loud of clothes upstairs for them during the day so he headed straight towards his pile and grabbed the first pair of jeans available and started throwing them on over his boxers.

“What’s wrong?” his wife asked sleepily from the bed. It was dark but she would be able to hear that he was getting dressed.

“Zelena’s monkeys are rampaging around the town in her absence apparently” Charming explained as he finished fastening his jeans. He grasped the first t-shirt and jumper in the pile without caring if they matched and started putting them on.

“I’ll come with you” Snow said as she slowly and awkwardly shifted of the bed and came to stand in front of him.

Usually he would like nothing more than for his wife to fight at his side especially as she was such a good shot with the long bow. However she could go into birth any day now and that would certainly distract him in a fight.

“Nooooo you won’t” he chuckled, guiding he back towards the bed. “My pregnant wife is staying right here. I’ll ring you if we need Gold to come work some magic on them.”

Snow sat down on the edge of the bed and sulked but the fact she wasn’t verbally protesting was evidence enough for him that his wife knew he was right. He dropped a kiss on her forehead before grabbing a pair of socks, his sword and his gun belt.

He managed to hop down the stairs whilst putting his socks on and grabbed his coat and shoes from by the door. Just as he was about to leave Belle stuck her head into the living space of the apartment.

“Everything okay?” the woman asked when she caught sight of him by the door.

“Monkey attack” Charming replied simply before changing the topic. “How is Regina?”

Belle glanced over to the sofa where Henry was sleeping. He looked dead to the world so she answered David’s question.

“Not good” she admitted with a shake of her head.

There wasn’t much he could say to that so he just nodded his head. He hoped Emma was closing in on Zelena or it would be too late for Henry’s adoptive mother.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Please review! Feedback makes me happy!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 

**The Enchanted Forest – Emma POV**

 

They had been riding for well over an hour in comfortable silence. Hook led the way and Emma and the young Regina were ridding side by side behind him. During the first part of their ride Regina had chattered to Emma about fairly idle stuff like her love of horses and the fact she had never even travelled out this realm. After a while the conversation had died down as their energy levels dropped. The brunette looked as tired as Emma felt and every time she glanced across at the young woman she could tell Regina was struggling to keep her eyes open. It was probably lucky that Regina was so sleepy because otherwise she would have probably noticed Emma staring at her throughout most of the quiet ride.

The blond was having an epiphany during this unscheduled trip to the past. It was one she really wished she could avoid having as it was a bit like torturing herself. How had she not managed to put all the pieces together before and realise how much she actually did care about Regina? She had recognised individual feeling like attraction and jealousy for what they were but had underestimated their importance. Now when she was faced with the loss of the brunette it felt like it was stifling her every breath and the feeling was only getting stronger. She had heard the quote ‘it’s better to have loved and lost than not loved at all’ but how did it work when you have lost what you have only just realised you may actually love.

All the times they had fought and stepped into each other’s personal space, all the times they had purposely wound each other up and every dry remark and hurtful word had been a bit like twisted foreplay for them. Emma had loved to loath Regina in the early days because she was a challenge and it made the blond feel more alive in years. Recently that fiery animosity had caved in and become a shaky friendship based on their shared love of their son and the strange trust that had developed between them. Now every small moment of intimacy when the walls dropped made Emma’s heart race that bit quicker. Looking at it with hindsight and objectivity it was obvious what she had been feeling for quite some while.

“We are nearly at the edge of the forest” the young Regina’s voice broke into Emma’s thoughts.

If they were nearly at the edge of the forest then it was time to say goodbye to this young Regina. It was going to be painfully difficult knowing it would probably be goodbye forever. Emma shook the thought away and tried to make conversation again. At least conversation may distract her from her thoughts.

“So do you often sneak out the Palace at night?” she asked the young Queen.

“I wish” The brunette glanced across at her and smiled. “The King has been away with his daughter but he returns in a few hours so there will be no more creeping out for a while.”

That was interesting news. Emma had wondered why Zelena was yet to make her move on Snow White but if she wasn’t currently in the kingdom then that explained it. If that was the case time was running out.

“I never wanted to be the Queen” Regina stated wistfully.

Emma’s head snapped around to the young brunette so fast one of her tendon’s clicked painfully. In all the time the blond had known Regina she seemed to revel in the power of being the Queen or the Mayor.

“No?” Emma inquired. This was what she’d wanted for a long time; the chance to understand Regina. She only wished it was a conversation she could have had with the older Regina.

“No my mother wanted it for me” Regina admitted, “and now I am trapped in a loveless marriage with an old man.”

Emma noticed the look of disgust that crept over the young woman’s face as she spoke. Emma wasn’t really sure what the age difference was but considering the minimal age difference between Regina and Snow then Leopold was probably old enough to be Regina’s father. As his wife Regina probably had to have sex with him. That thought was utterly gross especially as she clearly didn’t want a physical relationship with him.

“I feel like my entire future has been taken away from me” Regina continued.

The brunette tilted her head and sighed. Emma could see that the young woman was holding back tears. Even as a younger more innocent teenager she was still stubborn about showing weakness in front of people.

“I can’t imagine feeling like that” Emma replied softly. The brunette smiled sadly in response.

“I hope you never have to” she stated. “I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone.”  

It was almost ironic that this was the woman who would cast a curse that ripped the futures of hundreds of people away for twenty eight years. Life had really done a number on Regina. If it wasn’t for the fact it would literally change everything including Emma’s own existence she would willing take Regina away from all of this right now. It would be so easy to just turn them around and ride to foreign lands were the brunette could be safe from hurt. If it wasn’t for Henry then she may have been sorely tempted.

“Are you okay?” Regina asked.

Emma realised that they had all stopped at some point during her reverie. She looked around to find that they were at the edge of the forest. Up ahead in the distance she could see the Palace.

“Time to say goodbye...”

Emma’s voice cracked slightly as she spoke. The other woman did not understand how much of a goodbye this really was for the blond. Somehow she had to hold herself together so she didn’t come across as being totally weird and suspicious. The brunette turned her horse so it stepped closer to Emma and Thunder.

“Be careful there will be soldiers patrolling the woods within the next couple of hours” Regina advised the blond. “They will be making sure the roads are safe for the King’s return.”

Emma managed to nod and smile in response but she didn’t trust herself to speak. Regina reached her hand out towards her and Emma grasped it firmly. They didn’t shake, Emma wasn’t even sure if that was a custom here, they just kind of stayed there holding hands and staring at each other for several seconds before Regina finally released her grip.

 “Thank you...both of you” she said kindly before riding away.

Emma didn’t stay there long enough to see if the other woman looked back. She felt like her heart was crumbling in her chest and she knew she had to get away. The blond turned her horse and started riding back down the road the way they had came. She could hear Hook’s horse clip clopping behind her as he followed on but then the sound was drowned out by her own tears.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke - Charming POV**

When Ruby said the main street was under attack from flying monkeys he had pictured maybe ten of the beasts trying to attack people. When he reached the end of the main street and parked up he discovered it was more like forty flying monkeys and they were happily ripping up and smashing everything in sight. They had stripped several cars, smashed shop windows, pulled fences up and tore down sign posts.

David ran down the road, dodging between parked cars and trying not to attract the attention of any of the creatures. When he reached Granny’s dinner he found Ruby and Granny stood outside. Granny had a shopping cart full of deodorant cans and lighters and was passing fresh ones to Ruby every time she ran out. Their primitive flame thrower was doing a good job at keeping the monkeys at bay without actually killing any of them. Further down the street David could see other flashes of light and he guessed the dwarves were using a similar sort of weapon to the same effect.

“Hey” Ruby greeted when she caught sight of him. “We’ve told the other residents to stay inside, lock their doors and arm themselves in case any of these flying critters try and smash through their windows.”

Charming grabbed a can of lynx and a lighter from the trolley and started to join in. One of the flying monkeys swooped towards the diner archway but as soon as it saw the flames it swung away again and moved of further down the street.

“They seem more intent on causing destruction then attacking people” Granny shouted over all the sounds of chaos.

This didn’t seem like a planned attack by the Witch. David thought it seemed more like a sign of the creatures getting anxious without their master there. If that was the case then he needed to find a way to either calm them down or completely scare them off and back to the forest.

“If they don’t stop soon we are going to have to start killing the buggers” Granny shouted again.

David could see her point. There was only so much destruction and danger they could allow but he was determined to stop this without killing people. They may look like creatures now but underneath the magic they were actually human beings.

 “There has to be another way” David firmly replied. Killing them had to be a final option.  

“Well they don’t like fire” Ruby chimed in as she swapped from an empty can to another full one.

It was hard to think in this scenario with all the banging and the smashing and the flashed of flying fur. He had to use most of his concentration to fend off the monkeys rather than think up a solution. The waitress was right, they were scared of the flames but nothing a can of deodorant could produce would be enough to scare them off for good. They needed something bigger; something that would create a really big bang and bonfire.

“That’s it!” he exclaimed. “Ruby you are a genius.”

He didn’t get a response because another flying monkey swooped straight at them and Ruby’s attention was firmly focussed on fending it away.

“I don’t suppose you have a container of oil in that kitchen of yours do you Granny?” he asked the older woman who was currently ducked down behind the trolley.

“Of course what else would I fry chips in” she snapped at him. He always had a soft spot for Granny and her attitude. She was one seriously hard old lady.

“Go get it please...and a screwdriver” he instructed, ignoring the glare she shot his way before rising from her hiding place and heading back into the diner.

David looked down the street for a suitable vehicle. There were several that were now damaged beyond repair. Luckily Emma’s bug was parked outside Granny’s so was currently unscathed. As he stared down the street a group of men holding flaming branches appeared on to the main street. It was the Merry Men and their outlaw leader. Apparently every single one of them had come to help battle the flying simians as Robin was carrying his boy around his waist.

“Robin!” he yelled down the street. Through all the chaos the outlaw heard him and he and his men ran down the street towards him, waving the monkeys off with their primitive torches as they moved.

“We came as quickly as we could” Robin said a bit breathlessly as he came to a halt by David and Ruby. “They move a little bit faster than we do.”

The outlaw’s arrival was well timed as David needed some more muscle to help him with his plan. Granny arrived back at the group moments after Robin and his men and she handed David a large metal can of cooking fat and a cross head screwdriver. There was at least ten litres worth of oil in the can.

“Can you and your men help me push that car into the middle of the road?” David asked Robin. He pointed across the road to an old pick-up truck which was looking worse for wear. Robin looked confused as to why moving a car was going to help but he nodded his head in agreement regardless.

“Yes, if you don’t mind watching over my boy ma’am?” the outlaw directed his question at Granny.

“Of course” Granny agreed, glancing at the oil in David’s hand in understanding. “I’ll take him inside so he is well out of the way.”

Roland reached out and grasped Granny’s hand and she led him back towards the diner. David knew she’d keep the boy safe; she had a wicked aim with that crossbow of hers.

“What are you going to do?” Ruby asked.

“I’m going to blow that car up” David explained.

He gestured for the men to follow him and they jogged after him across the road. One of the merry men was handed all the branch torches and he stayed on monkey watch. David reached into the truck through the broken driver’s side window and took the handbrake off. 

“Push” he instructed the five men who were stood waiting at the back of the flat bed.

As they pushed he used the wheel to guide the car into the middle of the road until they reached the intersection. It was the widest part of the road and therefore the safest place to destroy the car without it setting the surrounding buildings on fire.

“Stop” David instructed as he pulled the handbrake up and on again.

Robin grasped one of the torches back off the merry men and sent them back to where Ruby was still warding off monkeys with the homemade flame throwers.

David began covering the truck with the oil making sure to coat the front bonnet where the engine resided the most. Occasionally he had to duck the odd incoming monkey but Robin was doing a pretty good job of warding them away. Once he had ran out of oil he tossed the container to the side. Reaching back into the truck he slammed the screwdriver into the ignition. It was a trick that Emma had told him about in conversation a while back and luckily the truck was old enough for it to work. Apparently more modern cars are too high tech.

He turned the engine on and let it run for a few seconds before reaching for the torch. The outlaw handed it over but remained with him.

“You might want to start running” David advised Robin. The man had spent his entire life in the Enchanted Forest and was oblivious to quite how badly this car was going to go boom.

“I’m pretty quick on my feet” Robin assured him confidently. “I’ll race you!”

 _As you wish_ David thought to himself. He reached the torch out and rested it against the roof of the car. It would give them a few seconds before the flames reached the fuel and the engine. After a couple of seconds a flame caught light on the oil and began to spread, covering the roof of the car quickly.

“Run” David yelled as he dropped the torch.

The two of them started running side by side across the road and down towards Granny’s diner. A monkey swooped at them but they both managed to duck and keep running without it slowing them down. David could see Ruby and the Merry Men up ahead starting to duck down so he knew the car must be fully alight by now. Just as they ducked there was an almighty bang behind them followed by an even louder one. The force of the second explosion thrust David and Robin a couple of metres forward and face down onto the tarmac.

David rolled over onto his back and looked back at the truck. It was completely destroyed other than the chassis and violent flames were licking up to the sky. When David looked up he was relieved to see that the sky was no longer infested with angry flying monkeys. It had worked.

“Well” Robin spoke up as he rolled on to his back too. “This place makes the Enchanted Forest seem quiet.”

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Authors note: Don’t panic it’s not the last of young Regina you’ll see in this story!**

**Thanks to all who have read, reviewed, favourite etc this story** **J Hugs!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 

**The Enchanted Forest – Hook POV**

 

Hook didn’t dare say anything to his blond travel companion as rode back down the road. He wasn’t sure why they were riding away from the Palace when that is where they were aiming to get to. He thought if he questioned her now though she might shoot him because she was clearly crying. Although it pained him that the tears for someone she cared about that was not him he also felt sorry for her. He understood loss better than most.

“Giving up?”

The familiar and rather unwelcome voice of the Witch rang out from behind them. Both Hook and Emma instantly swung their horses around to face her. He was surprised to find that now they were back in the Enchanted Forest the woman’s face was a strange and putrid shade of green. She was still wearing the ridiculous outfit she had jumped through the portal in, only now it looked even more stereotypical due to the green skin.

“Zelena” the blond virtually growled the Witches name.

Emma remained on her horse so Hook stayed mounted too. The two of them were facing Zelena who didn’t seem remotely uncomfortable with having to look up at them.

“That was all very touching back there” the Witch scoffed at Emma. She had seen the blonde’s tears and now knew a weakness other than her son to press on. Hook felt the instant need to protect Emma even though she was perfectly capable of doing so herself.

“What do you want?” he asked the Witch.

“Oh I’m just killing time until Snow White returns to the Palace” Zelena replied.

Hook cringed at her use of the word ‘killing’. The Witch was ‘killing time’ before she killed Snow. What Hook didn’t understand is why Zelena would want to wait in the first place.

“Why not just kill her on the road?” he asked.

 “That would be far too easy,” the Witch scoffed at him. “I want to ruin Regina’s life remember?”

Hook wasn’t quite sure what the green woman was getting at. He understood that by killing Snow White it removed the reason for Regina to cast the curse but he couldn’t see what difference it made to Regina where the Princess died. Apparently Emma was a step ahead again because she finally joined in the conversation again.

“You’re going to frame her” the blond stated.

 _Of course_ Hook thought. By killing Snow in the Palace it would suggest an inside job and it would be easy enough for Zelena to plant something on the body to frame the new Queen. All the stories contained evil jealous step mothers. 

“Very good Saviour” the Witch sneered. “I’m going to take everything from her. Her Kingdom...her curse...her future.”

If looks could kill then Emma would have destroyed Zelena on the spot. He couldn’t recall ever seeing the blond quite so red faced and angry. Emma’s anger only seemed to delight Zelena though and spare her on. The Witch seemed to rather like all the amateur dramatics. 

“It’s funny isn’t it that the little creature you have just escorted home could grow to have a heart as dark as this” Zelena mocked. She removed Regina’s heart from her satchel as she spoke and casually stroked her finger across it in an almost affectionate manner.

Hook had seen enchanted hearts before. He’d seen Milah’s before Rumpelstiltskin crushed it and he’d seen Aurora’s when he had removed it himself as a gift for Cora. Those hearts had been a glowing red but Regina’s was very different. It was mainly black with patches of red glowing through and it wasn’t glowing as brightly or beating as hard as the others he had seen. In a strange way it was actually quite beautiful.  

 “Perhaps I can think of a suitable career for her when I cast the curse” Zelena continued to try and get a rise out of Emma. The blond however seemed enraptured by the heart Zelena held in her hands. “What do you think? Should I make her my PA or...I know...sewage worker.”

Emma’s gaze snapped up from the heart to Zelena’s face and a strange dark smile spread across the blonde’s features. It wasn’t the kind of smile he’d associate with the blond; it would look more at home of the Evil Queens face.

“You haven’t won yet” Emma drawled at the Witch.

“How are you going to stop me?” Zelena threw back quickly before bursting into a fit of over dramatic evil laughter. “Have you figured out a way into the Palace yet? I can get in with a click of my fingers.”

The Witch had a point although Hook was pretty sure Emma was capable of using magic to get into the castle too should they get desperate enough. He’d rather not become part of a brick wall if she got it completely wrong but desperate times called for desperate measures and all that.

“If you weren’t worried about me Zelena you’d have never have bothered cursing Hook” the blond replied confidently. “I make you nervous...so nervous you are wasting time checking up on me rather than just executing your own plans.”

Now Emma had a point too. This conversation had become quite entertaining. He was merely a casual observer to this power play. If he had a box of that popcorn stuff they had in Storybrooke to watch movies with he could have kicked back with his rum and really enjoyed himself. Apparently Emma had other plans though and no longer wanted to waste her time with this conversation.

“You can go now” she directed the Witch.

Hook expected some sort of argument but the green woman just laughed and shrugged. Emma’s dismissal saved her from having to think up a smart reply so she was probably grateful for the out.

“Later Saviour” Zelena chuckled before vanishing in a cloud of green smoke. The second she was gone Emma kicker her horse on and steered of the road and straight into the forest.

“Well that was interesting” Hook remarked as he trotted up alongside her again.

“It was helpful” Emma corrected him.

He raised his eyebrows at the blond. He got the sense she was talking about something other than the fact they now knew Zelena’s plans. The sad and broken Emma that had been riding away from the Palace had now switched to a buoyant and determined looking Emma who clearly had a plan.

“Regina’s heart was still beating...she’s still alive” Emma explained excitedly, “and I intend to keep it that way.”

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Snow POV**

 

Snow White had been tossing and turning for an hour after her husband had left to try and deal with the flying monkey problem. She wished she could have gone with him but she also knew he had her best interests at heart. After a sleepless hour she decided to get up and check in with Gold and Belle.

She crept down the stairs as quietly as possible for a heavily pregnant woman as she did not want to wake Henry so early. Snow was amazed they had got him to leave Regina’s side and rest at all. She was relieved to see his sleeping figure curled up on the sofa still from across the low lit room.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs she turned into her and Charming’s bedroom. Gold was sat on one side of the bed staring off into the distance whilst Belle sat on the opposite side next to the IV gently dabbing Regina’s head with a damp cloth. It was the young woman who noticed Snow’s presence at the foot of the bed first.

“Hey what are you doing awake?” she greeted softly, keeping her voice low so not to disturb the sleeping boy in the next room.

“I can’t sleep with everything that’s going on” Snow admitted.

She took a step around the bed so she was next to Belle. The bedside lamp was turned on so she could see their patient more clearly now she had stepped into the light. Snow was horrified to see that the unconscious brunette was white as a sheet, glistening with sweat and shivering violently. Regina looked terrible and her decline over night had been a rapid one.

“She does not look good” Snow commented. The pregnant woman reached out and grasped Regina’s hand in her own. It was cold and clammy.

“Her body is shutting down” Belle sighed sadly as she responded.

Snow felt utterly helpless. There was nothing she could think to do that could possibly help the brunette now. The only hope she had was Gold and his magic but from the downcast look on his face he was feeling pretty defeated too.

“Is there nothing else we can do?” she directed her question at Rumpelstiltskin.

Gold moved his cane, which had been resting on his leg, in front of him and leant his arms and chin against it.

“The sleeping curse isn’t helping matters because it’s blocking her body’s ability to fight” he explained. “We need to find a way to life the curse.”

There was only one cure for a sleeping curse that Snow knew of and that wasn’t something that was readily available.

“But that requires true love....” she voiced her thoughts.

Her voice trailed away as she realised how futile this plan could be. Charming had told her that Regina had believed Robin Hood to be her true love because of a tattoo he bore. However he had also told her that Robin was sure he wasn’t and that Charming had met another with the same tattoo back in the Enchanted Forest. The mark wasn’t unique and therefore Robin was probably right. Snow was well aware of the unavoidable draw a person had to a true love and Robin would know about it if he felt it.

“...And Regina doesn’t have a long list of suitors...I know” Gold agreed. “However If we don’t lift the curse then she’ll be dead within the hour.”

Snow released the brunette’s hand and buried her face in her own hands but before she could react any further there was a panicked shout from the doorway of the bedroom.

 “No!” Henry cried.

“Henry” Snow gasped. As he was the only other person in the house she didn’t need to see him to know it was him who had called out. She lowered her hands to find the young boy shaking in the doorway.

“She can’t die!” he cried out again.

The twelve year old launched forward and clambered onto the foot of the bed before Snow had any chance of reacting and stopping him. He crawled up the bed so he was in between Regina and Gold and leant over her. Tears were starting to steadily run down his face.

“I’ve already lost my dad” Henry sobbed, “I don’t want to lose anyone else.”

Snow knew the young boy had two great fears. Firstly, he could lose the chance to remember and know the woman who brought him up and secondly he was scared Emma would not return. This reaction was what Charming warned against.

“We’re doing everything we can Henry;” Gold stood up and placed his hand on their grandsons back, trying to offer him some comfort.

The young boy was sobbing so hard now that tears were dripping of his chin and splashing Regina’s cheek. As the tears landed on the brunette’s skin Snow noticed a golden hue. She didn’t have a chance to fully process that information before Henry dipped his head lower so he was just above Regina’s own face.

“Please don’t die” he choked out before lowering his lips to Regina’s cheek and kissing her.

There was a brilliant sweep of light that swept across the room like wind. It made poor Henry jump so he was sat upright whilst the three adults gasped. Even Regina reacted by taking a deep breath although she remained unconscious. A rush of memories from the past year bombarded Snow but they were of little importance now.

“I broke the curse!” Henry exclaimed. “I remember!”

He reached up and touched his fingers to his lips. Snow knew from experience that they would tingle for a while afterwards... All three of the adults smiled broadly and when Henry realised what that meant he smiled too. He had bought Emma more time to save his adoptive mother.

Snow was delighted that he had broken the curse and if they did save Regina then she was going to enjoy telling the former Queen about it. The brunette would be thrilled that there was undeniable proof that she did love her son. However she was a little baffled as to how he had broken the curse because he didn’t have his memories.

“How did he...?” Snow spoke up, stuttering over her words. “I thought you couldn’t break a sleeping curse under the influence of a memory potion or spell?”

Her and Charming had kissed during the first curse as Mary Margaret and David and nothing had happened. The curse had remained in place only to be broken by Emma and Henry. That had been explained to her at the time as the effects of the memory potion Rumpelstilskin had weaved into the curse for Regina.

“You can’t kiss someone who doesn’t remember you and have the curse lift even if you had true love before the spell...” Gold agreed. “...But if they come to love you again then yes the curse can be lifted. It is very rare though. Considering Henry has a history of curse breaking I’d say he’s a very special boy but then he is the son of the saviour after all.”

Henry blushed at the idea of being special but didn’t comment. Instead he reached across and grasped the damp cloth of Belle and began to care for Regina again.

It was still only early and he hadn’t had much sleep for a boy his age but Snow doubted she’d get him to settle again now. Instead she reached out and gave his arm an affectionate squeeze before heading into the living area to ring her husband and check that everything was okay.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**The Enchanted Forest – Emma POV**

 

“Are you going to explain to me why we have come to a halt in this particular bit of woodland Swan?” Hook asked as Emma dismounted in a small clearing.

It was an ideal spot because it looked like an obvious place to camp for the night and there was grazing for the horses as well as a nearby stream.

“It’s close enough to the road for the King’s guards to find us but no so close that we appear suspicious and they kill us on sight” she explained. Hook dismounted too and led his horse over to her and Thunder.

“...And why do we want the King’s men to find us?” he asked incredulously. It was a tone and expression he used a lot when he wasn’t keen on the sound of a plan or hadn’t caught up with something that was being said.

“So we can steal their uniforms and get into that Palace without raising suspicion” Emma explained. The blond had to admit it sounded very simple when she said it like that when in reality it would be a dangerous and risky strategy. However it wasn’t as risky as Emma poofing them into a Palace she didn’t know the layout of. Knowing her luck she’d land them right in the middle of the soldier’s garrison with hundreds of armed men.

“Ah!” Hook declared cheerfully, “a plan!”

There was no protest or smart comment like she had been expecting. In fact he seemed to approve of the plan.

“I’ve been in the royal quarters before so once we are inside the walls I can get us to where we need to go” he added.

“I don’t think I want to know” Emma instantly groaned in response. She was aware that Hook and Regina had met before and she really didn’t want to discover that they had slept together or something disgusting like that. “Just please...go and un-tack the horses and leave them to graze.”

Hook raised his eyebrows at her when she thrust her horse’s reins into his hand. He was obviously trying not to smile or laugh but she could see a smirk creeping up on his face as he turned.

“It’s nothing as bad as you are thinking Swan” Hook assured her as he led the two horses away. “I was merely there to be tasked with an assignment.”

Emma was relieved to hear that. She even knew what assignment Hook was talking about; it was how he had met Cora.

As Hook un-tacked the horses and tied them to nearby trees using their rope halters Emma focussed on making the clearing look like a camp site. She used some rocks and twigs to make a small fire pit. This was a trick she had mastered back in Neverland but she needed to amp it up a bit this time. She didn’t want to start a fire; she wanted to incinerate the twigs so they looked like burnt out embers from a fire that had burnt all night.

She stepped back away from the pit and focussed on it, picturing the outcome she wanted just like Regina had hammered into her to do. It took a couple of seconds but then a violent burst of fire shot from her hands and lit the twigs. They burnt violently for a couple of seconds before dying down to the embers she desired. Impressed with herself she rubbed her hands gleefully together.

“That’s a neat trick” Hook said from behind her, “and here was I thinking you only had magic lessons to spend time with the teacher.”

Emma looked over her shoulder at him and rolled her eyes. At least he wasn’t coming on to her now he had guessed where her feelings actually lay but he was now intent on taking great pleasure making jokes about it.

“That part didn’t suck either although she did drop me off a draw bridge during the first lesson” Emma said fondly despite the subject matter; “that part wasn’t cool.”

“Ah...young love” Hook remarked dryly before chuckling at the irritated expression she threw him in response.

“Shut up and pretend to be asleep” Emma instructed. She moved around to the opposite side of the fire, hoping he would miss her blush now she had created some distance from him. There was only so much ribbing she could cope with.

The blond picked up one of the two large stones she’d found to use as weapons and tossed one across the fire to Hook. He may have a sword and she had magic but she’d rather not kill anyone other than Zelena on this mission.

“Yes my lady” he mocked, bowing deeply whilst holding the rock to his heart like it was the greatest gift ever bestowed to him.

Emma chuckled at his antics but pointed to the floor by his feet. She lay down on the ground just a metre or so away from the fire pit and shuffled to try and get comfortable. She pulled the cloak around her so it covered her hand and the rock she held in it. From across the dying embers of the fire she could she Hook settle down and do the same. It was pretty much light now so there would be soldiers searching the forest very soon.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

 

**The Enchanted Forest – Hook POV**

 

After about twenty minutes Hook could here soldiers moving around in the forest behind him. He could just about make out their conversation. They had spotted the horses and the camp and they were coming over to check who was sleeping in the woods so close to the castle. From the conversation he ascertained that he and Emma were in luck because there were only two men.

The two soldiers came to a halt and dismounted their horses. One of them walked towards Emma and the other stepped towards him.

“This one’s a woman” the soldier by Emma said.

“Must have had a domestic” the other commented before tapping Hook with the toe of his boot.

There was a loud thump and a grunt from over by Emma causing the soldier who was prodding him to swing around. Hook grabbed the soldier’s leg and tugged so the man fell forwards onto the floor. He jumped onto the man’s back, hauled his helmet off and hit him over the head with the rock.

He looked up to see the other soldier sprawled out unconscious too. Emma was kneeling over him and beginning to remove his armour.

“We need to hurry in case there are others nearby” Emma instructed.

The two of them got to work on removing the armour and when the men were stripped down to their underwear they dressed them in their cloaks so they wouldn’t get too cold.

Emma went over to a large tree at the side of the clearing and the Pirate watched in amazement as the blond used her magic to hollow out the tree. They dragged the men over to the tree and hid them in this hollowed out space. It covered the two unconscious bodies from three sides but if anyone came into the clearing they would surely see them.

“Face away from me and get changed” the blond instructed. “So help me god if I catch you taking a peek at me I will rip out your eyeballs. Are we clear?”

“Crystal” Hook snapped back irritably. He was offended she thought he had so little decency that he would impede on her honour like that.

He turned away from her and swiftly removed the outfit he had bought at the village. It took a little longer to get the soldiers clothing and armour on. Hook had ended up using the clothes of the man who Emma had knocked out and vice versa because he was the taller of the two. It was a bit of a tight fit across his soldiers because he was broader than the soldier but other than that it fit quite well. He reluctantly armed himself with the soldier’s flat sword. His own sword would have to be hidden in the saddle bags as he had no intention of leaving it behind.

“Are you done yet?” he asked over his shoulder to the blond.

“Yeah you can turn around” the blond replied instantly.

He turned to face Emma and instantly chuckled at the sight. The idea had been a good one but she was much slighter than the soldier and the armour was clearly too big on her. It would be obvious she had stolen it to anyone paying even the slightest bit of attention.

“Yeah that really doesn’t fit” he commented.

“I can fix that” Emma replied calmly, “just check I have it on right first.”

He walked over and gave the armour a quick once over. She had indeed fastened everything correctly and she even had the sword on the correct side. He gave her a positive nod before stepping back and out of her way. She closed her eyes and her brow creased as she concentrated hard on her magic. Hook was a bit weary of her using magic right now in case she got it wrong and shrunk herself or something. However much to his relief the armour moved and shrunk right in front of his eyes until it fit her like a glove.

“Done” she said cheerfully once it was complete.

The blond picked up her clothes from the floor and then scooped up Hooks before throwing them in the tree stump with the men. Hook watched as she placed the tack from their horses in the stump too, removing her red leather jacket from Thunders saddlebag.

The blond then closed her eyes again and cast yet more magic. This time the effect was to make the men and items totally disappear from inside the tree.

“What the hell did you just do Swan?!” he exclaimed. He hoped she hadn’t transported the poor buggers to some far off land because it wasn’t exactly their fault some crazy Witch from the future was here causing havoc.

“It’s a protection spell” Emma assured him, “they are still there you just can’t see them”

“Regina taught me it during our last lesson” she added wistfully.

Hook was trying to be as understanding and accepting of all this Evil Queen loving as he possibly could but it didn’t stop him from feeling a sharp pang of pain when Emma sounded our looked emotional about her. It felt a rather lot like what he expected a knife to his heart to feel like.

“I’ll let our horses loose” he offered; glad of the excuse to turn away from the blond and compose himself.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Belle POV**

 

The apartment was awash with activity even though it was still only early morning. Rumpel was in the bedroom trying to use healing magic to help Regina’s body fight the fading enchantment on her heart with Henry quietly watching on. The young boy had been into the kitchen moments ago to get a bowl of fresh cool water. Belle had found herself in the kitchen area with Snow and the two of them prepared a breakfast of toast, eggs and bacon for the four of them.

Charming had called his wife about twenty minutes ago to let her know everything was okay but that he was staying out a bit longer to help with the clean up on the main street. Belle could tell that Snow was itching to get out there and help him. She may be a Princess but Snow White was not used to sitting around being fussed on all day. She had been forced by the events in her past to become a fugitive and then a warrior.

“I think time is ticking down for Emma” the pixie haired brunette suddenly spoke up as she stirred the scrambled eggs.

Belle was in the middle of sorting the toast but she turned and gave Snow as much of her attention as possible.

“She’ll feel terrible if Regina dies” the pregnant woman continued.

Despite everything that had happened in the past Belle was sure that everyone would mourn Regina’s passing a little bit. She had locked Belle in a mental asylum for 28 years but that wouldn’t stop Belle feeling sad if Regina died. The former Evil Queen had been trying hard to change and Belle appreciated a good redemption story. Emma would have to deal with Henry and his grief. Was Snow afraid her grandson would blame his birth mother for not saving Regina?

“Henry?” she asked Snow.

“Not just Henry” Snow sighed as she spoke. “I know they both like to pretend otherwise but Emma and Regina...well they have a lot of respect for each other. They care about each other...and yes they have the bond of family through Henry.”

Belle had seen the growing trust and friendship between the two. In fact she had always expected an underlying attraction on both their parts but it wasn’t something she’d voice out loud to Snow. It would probably give her a heart attack. Belle had mentioned it to Rumpel in the past and all he had said was ‘you should have seen them when they were fighting all the time before the curse lifted...they looked like they were either going to hit each other or kiss’.

“There is still a little time” Belle offered in comfort. “Rumpel is trying everything he can to prolong her life.”

“I know” Snow agreed softly.

With Neal gone Belle hoped her boyfriend would be allowed an active role in Henry’s life. His grandson could never replace the loss of losing his son but it could certainly fill a hole and give Rumpel’s life some meaning still. Belle hoped that between her and Henry they could give the complicated man the love he needed to stay on the straight and narrow.

 “Oh” Snow suddenly gasped, abandoning the eggs and grasping the counter next to her. It dragged Belle very suddenly away from her thoughts.  

“What?” Belle asked instantly. She stepped to the other woman’s side and placed her hands on her back. “Snow? Snow what’s wrong?”

The pregnant woman grasped her swollen stomach with one of her hands and groaned loudly. The knuckles on the hand that grasped at the counter were white Snow gripped it so hard. 

“The baby” she gasped out, “It’s coming!”

Belle couldn’t believe the unfortunate timing of what should be a joyful event. Charming was off dealing with flying monkeys, Emma was stuck in the past and Regina was pretty much dead. That meant the only family member available was Henry and he couldn’t exactly take Snow to hospital. 

“Rumpel!” Belle shouted on top note across the apartment as she held onto Snow. Both Rumpel and Henry appeared from the bedroom within seconds looking scared and flustered.

“What?” her boyfriend asked.

“Finish your own breakfast and watch Henry!” Belle exclaimed. “Snow is going into labour!”

Henry looked really excited whereas Rumpel looked horrified. His hand was in his pocket so fast he had found his car keys and tossed them to her before Snow could even groan again. Apparently he had no desire for the Princess to stick around and have them play midwife.

“I’ll ring Charming and tell him to meet you at the hospital” he offered. “You better go because as I recall she was only in labour for around thirty minutes with her firstborn.”

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**The Enchanted Forest – Emma POV**

 

The Palace was abuzz with activity as Emma and Hook rode towards the gate. Soldiers were coming and going, some on foot and some on horseback. In the gateway to the castle there was a table set up and an important looking soldier was stood by the table holding a scroll. He was obviously the man directing activities for the day. There first big task would be to get passed him without being found out.

"Swan I am not so sure this is a good idea anymore" Hook leant over and whispered.

Emma understood his nerves; the place was teaming with soldiers in preparation for the Kings return. Despite her sympathy this was the plan she had made and she was sticking to it. If they held their nerves she was sure it would work.

"Ten minutes ago you were telling me how you successfully and bravely broke into this place" the blond reminded him.

"Yes well I should also point out that I did technically get caught" Hook pointed out. "I don't think your grandfather will be so keen to spare me and hire my considerable talents."

The blond was sure she didn't count the pirate venturing to Wonderland and aligning himself with Cora a 'considerable talent'. In fact it had caused her and her family plenty of problems. She resisted pointing that out to him and resorted to humour instead to show her disdain.

"Oh I don't know he might like a man in make-up" Emma quipped.

Hook instantly became more rigid in the saddle so although couldn't see his face through the helmet she knew the comment had struck its mark. He had snapped at her the day before for a similar remark so she was well aware it was a weak spot. She was basically calling into question his manliness.

"Well if we get caught you could always discuss his new wife with him and your matching taste in woman" Hook mocked.

If his words were meant to sting at all then he failed because at worse Hook sounded like a jealous and petulant child. Instead the blonde found herself chuckling and when her travel companion heard her laughter he joined in too. Emma reached across from her horse and gave him a friendly shove.

"Hawkins stop being a Pratt" the officer they had been steadily approaching balled. "Was your sweep clear?"

Emma felt a twinge of fear when she realised he must be talking to her. She was the one doing the shoving so she was the one riding the horse of this Hawkins the officer was calling to.

"Clear sir" she replied as deeply as possible.

She was either convincing or he just wasn’t paying much attention because he merely nodded in response and made a mark on the scroll he was holding.

Once they had cleared the main gate of the palace Emma slowed her horse slightly to allow Hook to take the lead. He guided them to the stables were they both dismounted and handed their horses to some very overworked looking young stable hands.

After handing the horses over the two of them walked side by side in the direction of the main palace building.

Unlike the summer palace, which Emma had been to with Snow, this building was not like a traditional castle. The main palace was an incredibly large multi-storey tower. The blond could see why it had been the Evil Queens preferred home as its appearance was far more imposing than the castle by the sea.

"We may have to be in the palace for a little while before Zelena makes her move" Emma pointed out. "I don't think it will be too long though. I think she has to make her move before Regina's heart stops or the magic that bought us here will cease."

"That's a lot of presumptions" Hook commented.

The blond rolled her eyes at the pirate but with the helmet she was wearing there was little chance of him seeing her disapproval.

"Let's just work on theory that we need to stay inconspicuous for a while" Emma muttered. "Do you have any suggestions or are you really only here to make up the numbers?"

Hook stopped and grabbed her forearm; forcing her to stop too. His helmeted head moved from side to side to check they were not at risk of being overheard.

"We need to fit in" the Pirate replied irritably. "To do that we need to start patrolling the corridors and actually looking like soldiers."

Emma glanced around herself to check no one was watching before ripping her arm from Hooks grip. They were both feeling tense due to the precarious situation they were now in and if they didn't start holding their tongues they would end up brawling.

“Fine” she mumbled, “lead the way.”

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

 

**Storybrooke – Charming POV**

 

Charming had just finishing up his breakfast of pancakes that Granny had whipped up for him, the Merry Men, the Dwarves, Ruby and Tink. It was meant to power them on through the day so they could get the main street at least partly cleared and stay alert for the threat of flying monkeys. They had organised a rota of jobs as they ate which also included some of the other local residents who had come down to the diner to volunteer like Kathryn, Fred, Archie, Eric and Arial.

Just as he was about to start a sweep of the woods to look for the monkeys and access their behaviour his phone started to ring. He was surprised to see Gold’s name flash up on screen and not Snow’s.

“Hey is everything okay?” he greeted.

“You need to get down to the hospital before your wife gives birth” Rumpelstiltskin got straight to the point. “Belle is driving her there now.”

“Oh god okay” David began to stress.

Gold didn’t bother to say anything else before ending the call leaving a panicking Prince. Charming was meant to have a responsibility to his people but he also had a responsibility to his wife and about to be born child. Snow really did choose the worst times to go into labour.

“David is everything okay?” Ruby joined him on the street. When he didn’t answer her she shook his arm gently and repeated the question.

“Snow has gone into labour” David explained in a daze. The young brunette looked at him like he had gone mad and began to laugh at him.

“Jesus go!” she exclaimed.

He wanted to jump in his pick-up truck and drive to the hospital straight away but he also didn’t want to leave Ruby on her own patrolling the forest. Ruby was Snow’s best friend and he’d be in a ton of trouble if she got hurt.

“I’m meant to be...” he started to explain his concerns only to be cut off by Ruby shoving him in the direction of his truck.

“For god’s sake go be with your wife” Ruby chastised him. “I’ll take someone else with me to check out the woods.”

The young brunette walked him over to the truck and watched him climb inside. David turned the key and the engine roared into life. He wound down the window and she waved to him.

“Tell Snow I said that Red is a good name” Ruby quipped.

“Ha I will” David chuckled, “and thank you.”

He put the car into reverse and backed out of the mess that was now the main street before turning in one of the driveways. If Snow’s labour was as quick as last time he was going to have to put his foot down to get to the hospital on time.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Enchanted Forest – Emma POV**

 

Hook had been true to his word and had been able to guide them straight to the corridor which contained the royal bedchambers. There were two other soldiers stood at the entrance to the corridor but apart from that it was quiet down the corridor itself. Once they were out of ear shot and the eye line of the two other soldiers Hook stopped them by a heavy wooden door.

“I’m going to hazard a guess that Regina stayed in her own bedchambers and didn’t move after the King died” the Pirate quietly deduced. “That means that her room is the furthest door down.”

It still freaked the blond out slightly that Hook had been in Regina’s bedchambers but he did seem genuine when he said that nothing happened between them. Even the idea of him and Regina flirting made her want to vomit but not half as much as she had wanted too when she had seen Regina with Robin bloody Hood.

“That means that these chambers are probably the Kings with Snow’s being situated between the two” Hook continued to explain.  

Emma couldn’t help but look down the corridor and seek out the door to Regina’s chambers. She wondered if it was common practise to have separate chambers in the Enchanted Forest or if it was just due to a complete lack of love between Regina and the King.

“Okay well how about I stand between Regina and Snow’s room and you stand between Snow and Leopold’s room” Emma whispered.

Hook instantly started chuckling because she had suggested that she stood by Regina’s door. The blond was being practical though because the likely hood was that Zelena would go to either Regina or Snow’s quarters. It was only logical that Emma, the person with the magic, should stand closest to those locations. Killian was just being an ass.

“Shut up” she muttered at him before walking off. She could still here him chuckling as she reached her destination between the two rooms.

 Emma pressed her back against the wall and allowed herself to relax against it. They had not slept last night and barely slept the night before. Now the blond was stood still with something to prop herself up on she realised quite how exhausted she really was. She barely noticed the armour digging into her back as she closed her eyes and rested them for a while.

After a couple of minutes of peaceful silence Emma could hear the soft pitter patter of footsteps and she opened her eyes to see a short, plump, red haired middle aged woman walking down the corridor towards her. The woman looked like a servant of some kind. As she passed Emma she smiled politely. The blond smiled back even though the woman couldn’t see her face through the helmet.

The woman knocked on Regina’s door and after a short delay the door creaked open and the young Regina stuck her head out. Emma tried to keep looking straight ahead and only watch the brunette out of the corner of her eye. Even in her peripheral vision the blond could see that Regina looked pale and exhausted from staying out all night.

“Jakarta” the brunette greeted the servant. Regina only just managed to get the name out before yawning widely.

“You need to get ready dear so you can receive the King and Snow White” Jakarta informed her.

The name was familiar to Emma and she recalled her mother speaking of the servant fondly. She had helped bring a young Snow White up and had helped support her when her mother had died.

“Actually I feel rather ill” Regina explained to the servant, “could you give my apologies?”

The red haired servant shuffled awkwardly from side to side and Emma could tell she didn’t approve of Regina not wanting to get dressed up and act like the dutiful wife.

“You should really come down regardless your majesty” Jakarta advised politely. “I’m sure the King will wish to tell you about his trip.”

The young brunette let out an all too familiar dark chuckle in response. It was the most Stoybrooke Regina thing she had seen or heard this young Regina do.

“You know as well as I do that the King will not miss my presence” the brunette stated firmly. “You can send Snow up though as I’m sure she WILL want to see me and tell me all about it.”

It was hard to tell from the brunette’s tone whether she wanted to see the young Princess or not or whether she was just doing her duty. Regina was obviously quite conflicted over her feelings towards Snow at this stage. She was obviously angry and hurt at the loss of her love but she was also clearly fond of the young girl too. For now Regina seemed balanced. Emma wondered if there was an event that would tip Regina over the edge or if everything just slowly chipped away at her until she gave in to all that darkness Rumpel offered her.

“Yes your Majesty” Jakarta nodded before turning away and heading back down the corridor the way she had came.

Emma watched as Regina slumped her body and head against the doorframe. The brunette looked as wiped out as Emma felt and very sad. The blond had to resist the urge to scoop the young Regina up in her arms and hold her tight. The brunette seemed to sense Emma’s gaze on her even though she couldn’t see the soldiers face. As soon as Regina looked straight at her Emma nodded her head with deference and snapped her gaze back to the wall in front of her. She heard rather than saw the door shut again as Regina retreated back into her chambers.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Charming POV**

David burst into the hospital at a run and was instantly guided to Snow by one of the nurses who were obviously expecting him. She led him to a room just down the hallway from which he could here several pained grunts.

She opened the door for him and he went straight inside, nodding to Whale who was dressed in scrubs and stood between Snow’s legs. Belle had been stood by Snow’s side holding her hand but as soon as David arrived she stepped back and gave him space to slide in by his wife.

“I’ll wait outside” Belle informed him before slipping out the room.

“Hey honey” David turned his attention to his wife who was now grasping his hand in a painful death grip.

“Hey...OW!” she greeted in return.

One of the nurses came in and handed him a blue gown. He managed to take his hand away from Snow’s for the few seconds he needed to put the ugly blue item on before his wife had his hand crushed in hers again.

Although David had been present for Emma’s birth it was nothing like the clinical and sterile procedure that was occurring around him now. Emma had been popped out in a rush in their bedchambers with only a couple of female servants to help them.

“Is everyone okay?” Snow asked between sharp pained breaths.

“Yeah everyone is fine” Charming assured her, even though he had already told her what had happened earlier over the phone.  The people who were out on the front lines were Snow’s closest friends so it was no wonder she was concerned.

“Is there a lot of....OW...damage?” his wife asked, her question briefly broken by a sharp contraction.

 “Could you concentrate on this right now?!” Whale suddenly chided from between Snow’s legs. “This baby is on its way so you need to start pushing on your next contraction.”

Charming had to hold in a laugh at the Doctor’s frustrated tone but any amusement he felt quickly left him when his wife gripped his hand even harder as her next contraction ripped through her. It was so hard that he actually groaned in pain but it was masked by Snow’s agonised cry as she began to push.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Enchanted Forest – Emma POV**

 

Even from a couple of floors up and inside the tower Emma could hear all the sound and pomp of the King and her mother’s return to the palace. She couldn’t imagine herself as a Princess if every time she returned home from a trip people screamed and someone played a trumpet at her.

The blond had tried to picture herself living this life ever since she had broken the curse but it had never really fitted together in her mind. It was almost ironic that after twenty eight years wishing her parents had never given her up she was now quite relieved that they had even if she still had abandonment issues. As Regina had said in Neverland it was hard to regret something that resulted in something you loved more than anything. If the curse hadn’t happened then Henry would never have existed.

The sound had been going on, although at a lower level, for around fifteen minutes before Emma heard scurrying in corridor that led to the royal chambers. Emma instantly straightened herself up and stopped using the wall as a crutch as did Hook who had been slumped a few metres away. Just then a young brunette girl, not quite a teenager yet, appeared into the corridor and stopped instantly when she saw the two guards. Emma would recognise that chin anywhere. It was her mother Snow White wearing a white puffed out dress, a gold tiara and a very shiny gold bracelet.

The young Snow quickly recovered from the shock of finding soldiers in the corridor and scurried past wordlessly before barrelling through Regina’s door without bothering to knock.

“Regina Regina” the young girl called out exuberantly. “Regina look at what King Midas gave me!”    

 The door slammed shut behind her making it nearly impossible for Emma to hear the brunette’s reply. She could hear talking but the wall muffled the sound out too much for her to make out any words. The blond quietly edged sideways down the corridor so she was right next to Regina’s chamber door. It was made out of a heavy oak wood but more of the sound bled through that than the wall.

“He gave daddy a gift for you too” Emma could hear the young Snow telling Regina. “You’ll like it because it’s pretty...just like you.”

Emma appreciated that sentiment. Regina was indeed ‘pretty’, in fact she was beautiful. The young Regina’s long flowing hair and white gown was a nice change to what Emma was used too but she missed seeing the slightly older Regina strutting around in fitted dresses and killer heels.

“I don’t feel so pretty today Snow” Regina replied after a slight delay.

There was a strange waver in the Queens voice. This was a woman whose confidence was still low after years of emotional abuse by her own mother. Emma wondered how many kind words Cora had said to her compared to the vast amount of criticism. The blond had seen that waver in Regina’s eyes in their own time but her Regina was too emotionally guarded to let it slip out so openly.

“You look sad” Snow asked, “do you wish you had come with us?”

Emma leant yet closer to the door frame to ensure she could hear what came next. She was fascinated to know how the young Regina would answer this question. Did she wish that King actually cared about her enough for her to travel with them? Would it have made a difference to the way Regina had felt and developed if he did?

The next thing she heard was not what she expected.

“I...what?!” Regina suddenly exclaimed. “Who the hell are you?!”

Zelena. It had to be Zelena.

Emma launched into life and drew her sword before charging into the room.

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

 

**Enchanted Forest – Emma POV**

On bursting into the room Emma came face to face with three people. Firstly there was the young Snow who was sat on the bed looking rather terrified. Regina was stood, still in her night clothes, by the bed but between the child and the intruder. The third person was of course Zelena who was still as green as grass and dressed in her ridiculous witches outfit.

As soon as Emma came barrelling in the Witch direct some sort of spell at her which Emma batted away with her sword. The spell hit a vase which smashed into shards.

“Wait” Regina instructed, lifting her hand to Emma and instructing her to halt.

“You have magic” she stated towards Zelena. “Who are you and what do you want from us?”

Another soldier, who she presumed must be Hook, lingered just behind Emma, and moved with her as she began to slowly edge to the side of the Queen and the Princess. Zelena seemed unconcerned by their presence as she didn’t realise what two people were beneath the armour.

“I’m you sister darling” Zelena chuckled. “Well half sister...we share a mother.”

Regina snorted disbelievingly as she gave the older Witch the once over with her eyes. It wasn’t much of a surprise that Regina would look at the green woman and presume she was talking utter nonsense. It’s exactly how the older Regina had reacted to the news in Granny’s cafe at the wake.

“I’m an only child” the brunette dismissed her claim easily.

Just as the Witch was about to reply the two soldiers from down the hall came running in to the chambers too having obviously heard the vase being destroyed. They ran straight towards the Witch and Zelena sent a burst of light in their direction which knocked them clean of their feet and unconscious.

“We’ve had this conversation before” Zelena calmly replied to Regina’s earlier comment once she had dealt with them.

Emma saw the nervous expression that flashed across the young Regina’s face before she managed to push it down and become stoic again. At this stage in her training Regina would be no match at all for Zelena. Emma however had noticed something that hadn’t caught her attention before. When Zelena did magic the large green stone on her necklace glowed like somehow it was linked to her powers.

“No we haven’t” the brunette snapped slightly, “I’m quite sure I‘d remember.”

“Oh but we really have” Zelena responded smoothly. “Twice in fact and it’s getting rather old.”

At this strange response Regina appeared to be momentarily lost for words so the brunette resorted to glaring at the unexpected and unwanted visitor. Emma wondered if the ‘getting old’ comment was meant to be some sort of pun on the fact she was in the past. Zelena seemed to get her kicks from stupid puns and sound bites. If Emma heard her make another ‘wicked’ comment she was convinced she’d go dark on the woman’s ass and cause some serious damage.

“Now” Zelena announced, breaking Emma from her murderous thoughts. “If you excuse me I have a princess to kill.”

The young Snow gave out a terrified little screech and promptly fainted just as Regina gasped put the word ‘no’ in response. To Emma’s surprise the young Regina managed to hurl a small fireball in the direction of the Witch but Zelena batted it away easily and began to laugh.

“That’s sweet Regina but totally ineffective” the witch taunted with a voice full of mirth.

The young Regina looked genuinely terrified when she realised the best she could muster was nowhere near good enough. It was time for Emma to step in and pray her actions didn’t have too much of a dire effect on the future...or her own present.

“How about you try your luck with me then?” the blond rasped at the Witch, flinging her sword to the floor to free up her hands.

Zelena may not be able to see her through all the armour but she certainly recognised the voice. It was quite satisfying for Emma to see the luck of nervous displeasure that arose on the Witch’s features.

“Saviour” the woman gasped.

There was no chance to respond as Zelena was already raising her hand to attack the blond. Emma reacted quickly though and thought about forcing Zelena’s hand back down and binding her so she couldn’t cast any magic. She was pleased to see a burst of white leave her own right hand and wrap around the green witch.

It was only a temporary solution though and certainly not done. So Emma rammed her eyes closed and concentrated on the jewel around Zelena’s neck. At the sound of the woman’s shriek she opened her eyes just as the green jewel landed in her own outstretched hand. The second it made contact with Emma’s glove it no longer glowed green but turned a bright and shining white.  The blond felt a slight tinge in her right arm as she grasped the jewel but thought little of it.

“No” Zelena gasped out. “No no no no NO!!!”

Emma reached out her other hand and thought of the satchel containing the talismans that hung from Zelena’s shoulder and sure enough it landed in her left hand. She had Regina’s heart back and if she was correct she also had the source of Zelena’s incredible power. It was almost job done if it wasn’t for the horrified brunette who was backing away from her to the point where she fell backwards onto the bed next to the unconscious Princess.

Emma placed the pendant in the satchel and flung the bag over her shoulder. Once it was securely at her side she reached out towards the young Queen to try and calm her.

“Stay back...you have magic too” Regina pleaded. “You have really powerful magic.”

Emma followed the brunette’s eye line towards the magically bound green Witch. It was understandable that she was scared but she needed to calm the brunette fast before she started screaming and they had a whole host of guards appearing.

“Regina I...” she tried to sooth the woman’s fears with a tone that had been effective at times in their present. However the young Regina instantly and suspiciously cut in.

“That’s a bit of an informal way to address your Queen soldier” she rasped. “Who...who are you?”

Emma sighed deeply and reached up for her helmet. Zelena’s actions had already done plenty of damage no doubt so it seemed of little consequence right now if Emma came face to face with Regina in the light of day. Hook reached forward to try and stop her but she shook away his hand and removed the helmet, lowering the cumbersome headwear down and dropping on the bed beside Snow.

“You...” Regina exclaimed in surprise. The brunette lifted herself gracefully of the bed so she was now stood face to face with Emma. The two were close enough for Emma to feel Regina’s breath on her face. “You’re the woman who rescued me in the town aren’t you?”

“Yes” Emma admitted as she tried to remain calm despite Regina’s proximity. “I promise that you are safe now...I would never hurt you.”

Regina was stood so close. The only thing stopping Emma launching forward and kissing her was the fact this Regina was over ten years younger than her. That and the fact the brunette was already utterly confused about what was going on.

“Are you following me?” Regina asked suspiciously.

“Not exactly” Emma replied. The blond wasn’t sure how to explain it all to Regina without admitting she was from the future.

“Then what exactly?” Regina shot back. This was the side of Regina she was more used to. It was sassy personal space invading Regina.

The blond was at a loss of things to say especially as Regina’s hands had crept up from the younger woman’s sides and were now pressed against the armour plating on Emma’s stomach. The brunette’s brown eyes looked at her imploringly but all Emma could manage was a stutter or two before they were interrupted.

“She’s here to protect you and Snow White dearie” a familiar voice rang out from across the room. Both Emma and Regina swung around in the direction of the voice so they were shoulder to shoulder.

“Rumpelstiltskin?” Regina gasped out as the same time Emma asked “what are you doing here?”

The Dark One was stood on Regina’s balcony and leaning back casually on the rail. His face was glittering in the bright sunlight pouring into the room.

“You didn’t think I’d leave it all to chance did you dearie?” he scoffed at Emma. “I’ve been watching in case you slipped up and failed.”

Rumpelstiltskin pushed off the balcony rail and trotted inside the room. The Rumpel of the FTL was extremely chipper compared to his Storybrooke counterpart Mr Gold. It made him strange to deal with but oddly familiar as well. It was a bit like dealing with Mr Gold on some kind of opiate.

“Well...thanks for not helping but we’re fine” Emma responded dryly.

The Dark One let out one of his manic giggles before trotting over to the green witch who was still bound and looking sorry for herself.

“Hardly” Rumpel said before laying his hand on Zelena’s shoulder. In an instant she turned to ashes and was gone.

 “All better” Rumpel announced before giggling again.

Emma felt Regina flinch away as the Dark One wiped the Witch out of existence but the blond was rooted to the spot in shock. She didn’t have a plan about how to deal with Zelena, she had just intended to take her back through the portal with her and take it from there. Now it appeared the problem had been dealt with for her.

“Oh jesus you just killed her” Emma finally exclaimed. She felt a strong hand grasp her arm from behind and Hook leant forwards against her.

“Probably not a terrible thing Swan” he muttered. “At least we don’t have to deal with her.”

“What he said” Rumpel giggled, pointing his forefinger in Hooks direction.

Emma was rather uncomfortable with the fact Zelena had been murdered when completely helpless. The witch was the only blood family that Regina had left and Emma had hoped that maybe the witch was not beyond redemption too. Now they would never know.

Rumpel reached into his pocket and took out several small vials of a clear liquid. He looked around the room like he was doing a quick head count and smiled in satisfaction.

“What is that?” Emma asked, nodding her head at the bottles in his hand.

“A memory potion” the Dark One explained. “None of us can be allowed to remember you dearie or it will change our futures.”

As he spoke Rumpel deposited the content of a bottle in each of the two unconscious soldier’s mouths. Once he had done that he waved his hand over them and they disappeared in a cloud of red smoke.  

“I hope he just put them back on centaury duty” Emma whispered to the Pirate who was still gripping her arm. “There is only so much murder I can cope with for one day.”

“Aye” he agreed before finally releasing his grip of her.

Rumpel made his way over to the bed and poured a vial of liquid into the young Princess’ mouth. He then ran his hand above Snow White’s head and a faint glow emitted from it.

“She’ll sleep for an hour or so now” he assured them once he had finished his spell. He stepped around the bed so he was now facing Emma.

“Now this one...this one is for the Queen” Rumpel announced cheerfully as he waved a vial towards them. Emma stretched out and snatched it before he got the chance to try and force feed Regina it or whatever he was planning on doing. The blond had no intention of forcing this upon Regina unless absolutely necessary.

“Have a safe trip home dearie,” Rumpel giggled again before disappearing into a cloud of red smoke.

It was the first time since Rumpel had arrived that Emma turned her attention to Regina. She was surprised to find that the brunette was paying no attention to the Dark One at all but was instead staring at her. They seemed to gravitate closer again so they were face to face.

 “You’re from the future?” the young Regina asked. There was an element of disbelief in the brunette’s voice but that disbelief was obviously tempered by the fact Rumpel had clearly believed it to be true.   

“Yes and I need to get back there straight away” Emma admitted. “There is someone I need to save.”

Now that the satchel was pressed against her thigh she could feel the painfully slow and dull thud of Regina’s heart and she knew time was running out.

“Are you going to force me to drink that?” Regina asked, directing her attention to the single vial of liquid situated in the blonde’s right hand.

Emma reached out and grasped Regina’s right hand with her own left. She uncurled the brunette’s palm and placed the vial in Regina’s hand. The confusion that danced across the brunette’s features increased at this gesture.

“No” Emma assured her. “I have to go before you drink it so it will be your choice to do the right or the wrong thing.”

Regina’s response came in the form of a dazzling smile. Emma hadn’t meant for it to be quite that grand a gesture then she had briefly forgot how little free choice Regina had been able to express in her life so far. Everything was being mapped out by other people.

“Emma” Hook grumbled from the side of her. The Pirate had respectfully tried to linger back and away from her and the brunette’s conversation but he was clearly uncomfortable with leaving something to chance. Emma ignored him and carried on regardless.

“Regina I know you and I trust you” she told the young brunette. “I trust that you will drink this so I will not force you.”

The brunette smiled again and drew the hand containing the vial away from Emma and pressed it against her chest. The blond could see that her words had meant something to the young woman.

“You have my word that I will drink it” she sincerely promised.

Emma reached out and ran the back of her forefinger down the brunette’s jaw line in a gentle caress before allowing her finger to linger under her chin for a few moments. Regina’s eyes had fluttered closed at the tender contact before reopening when Emma finally dropped her hand away and back to her own side.

“Good bye...for now” Emma mumbled softly.

The blond backed away from Regina and into the centre of the room. Hook slid past the young brunette and followed Emma. She was glad she couldn’t see his face under the helmet because he would be jealous and hurting right now and she wanted to avoid that.

He stood by silently and waited whilst she reached into the satchel and removed two bottles of potion. One was white and one was black and they were identical to the potions the witch had used to create a portal the first time. She hoped that it would just reverse the magic and the portal that opened would take them straight back to her time but in case that wasn’t the case she concentrated very hard on Henry, her family and Storybrooke. She smashed the two bottles together and flung the contents just in front of her.

There was a brilliant flash of light as the grey portal appeared in front of them and the air around them filled with strong magic.

“Homeward bound” Hook muttered before stepping through the portal and disappearing. Emma took a step to follow him when Regina called out from behind her.

“Wait!”

The blond swung around to find the young brunette right behind her and before she had a chance to react Regina closed the gap between them and pressed their lips firmly together. It caught completely by surprise and by the time she realised what was happening the young brunette was hastily pulling away again. 

“Goodbye” the brunette whispered, blushing at her own boldness.

Emma smiled and started to back away into the portal. As she went she could see Regina un-corking the potion. The last thing Emma saw before the magic pulled her into the portal was the young brunette taking a large gulp from the bottle.

 

 

 


	18. Chapter 18

 

**Chapter 18**

 

**Storybrooke – Henry POV**

Henry didn’t have to be a doctor or a practitioner of magic to see that his adoptive mother was barely alive. No matter how many times he dabbed her head with cool water to try and take the temperature down she continued to burn up and was barely breathing. Tears stung at the back of his eyes but he couldn’t cry. He was too numb to cry and he kept telling himself that she wasn’t gone yet. His other mom, Emma, would come. She had to come.

Mr Gold was even starting to look decidedly downcast about her condition. He sat in the chair on the other side of the bed to Henry and had spent the hour or so since Snow and Belle left staring at the wall behind Henry’s head.

“Are you okay Mr G...randdad?” he asked. Mr Gold instantly snapped his gaze to Henry.

There was a distant haunted look in the man’s eyes which Henry couldn’t understand. He knew his mother and Mr Gold didn’t hate each other really and that they both enjoyed bouncing of each other. However he didn’t expect Mr Gold to look quite so devastated by her declining health.

“I had a lot of time to think when I was Zelena’s prisoner” Mr Gold finally spoke up. “I think there is a significant chance I am Regina’s father.”

Of all the things Henry was expecting the man to say then that was not it. It had never even crossed Henry’s mind that Regina could be his daughter because the book never mentioned him and Cora being together only that Rumpelstiltskin was her magic teacher.

After a brief pause Mr Gold continued with his explanation.

“The timing is right but it’s also right for it to have been Cora’s husband. I’d considered it when I heard of the birth but then she never showed any signs of magical prowess as a child so I presumed she wasn’t mine with me being the dark one and all that. Now I’m not so sure though. I don’t know why I’m telling you this...I haven’t even told Belle yet.”

Try as he might Henry didn’t really understand adults and the way their minds worked. He had an inkling that Mr Gold may have ignored the notion that Regina could be his child because he didn’t want it to be true but now that his son was dead the idea was suddenly more appealing. If he was right though then Henry was sure Regina would want to know the truth.

“Is there a way of finding out?” Henry asked.

Mr Gold regarded him for a moment before reaching into the pocket of his black suit jacket and taking out a small clear bottle containing clear liquid. He lifted it up to eye height so that he was looking through the potion bottle at Henry.

“If I put a drop of my blood and a drop of Regina’s blood in this potion and it turns blue then we are closely related” Mr Gold admitted. “Considering I am considerable older than Regina that can only mean one thing.”

Although he had the potion in his hand Mr Gold made no attempt to draw any blood or use the potion. Instead he gazed at the potion like it may leap out of his hand and bite him. In the stories Henry had read they had described Rumpelstiltskin as a coward until he became the Dark One. Henry wondered if it was fear that was holding the man back now.

“You’re scared?” he asked.

“You have to understand Henry” Mr Gold replied instantly. “If I am Regina’s father then I have spectacularly failed both my children. That is a little terrifying.”

Henry was well aware of how Rumpelstiltskin had failed Baelfire but he wasn’t really sure how he had failed Regina. Did he mean he had failed her by giving her the curse? So much of his mother’s history was clouded in secrecy. The book didn’t tell her side of the story. In fact Henry knew little of either of his mom’s story. They were both very guarded and in many ways very similar people.

“I pushed Regina down this road” Mr Gold tried to explain. “I needed someone to cast my curse so I pressed and pushed and manipulated her into becoming that lost, bitter and angry woman. I created the Evil Queen. I very much doubt she’d want me to be her father.”

Despite only being a child Henry found himself advising his parents and other grandparents a lot. Apparently he had now become the wise owl for the Dark One too...which was kind of cool really. To be fair it wasn’t rocket science this time. Henry knew from his own experiences that having secrets kept from you was not pleasant.

 “I think she’d like to know the truth” he informed Mr Gold. “I think when Emma manages to save my mom then you should tell her what you think and ask her if she wants to know for sure.”

His granddad chuckled slightly in response and nodded his head. This was one thing Henry didn’t get about adults. Sometimes you would say something deadly serious to them and they would laugh about it. It was a very weird coping mechanism. Henry would much rather just sit down and read a book or a comic to forget his troubles.

Mr Gold’s mobile phone started ringing with some sort of soppy love song tone so Henry guessed it was Belle. The man leapt to his feet and hobbled away, answering the phone when he reached the staircase.

“Hey” he greeted.

There was a brief pause whilst Mr Gold listened to his girlfriend so Henry continued to dab Regina’s head with a freshly dampened cloth.

“That’s wonderful news Belle” Mr Gold finally spoke up again. “I’ll let Henry know.”

Yet again there was pause whilst Belle spoke on the other end of the phone.

 “Yes could you” the older man replied to whatever his girlfriend was saying. “Thanks Belle.”

Mr Gold ended the phone call and walked back towards Henry. He stopped at the end of the bed and smiled lightly.

“Your grandparents have had a baby boy” he announced. “Both mother and child are safe and well.”

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Hook POV**

 

Hook was thoroughly relieved when he stepped out of the portal and back into the land around the farm house in Storybrooke. It didn’t surprise him that Emma wasn’t right behind him because no doubt Regina of the past wanted a private word or two before the blond left.

The area was very quiet apart from the low buzz of the portal. It was a strange humming sound that he hadn’t noticed the first time but then he had been charging at it in desperation the first time. After half a minute or so the blond appeared behind him with a bright smile on her face and within seconds the portal snapped shut.

“I thought for a moment you weren’t coming” he said. It wasn’t remotely true but it covered any jealousy he felt pretty well.

“She drank the potion” was the blonde’s only reply.

Hook could have worked that out for himself considering they were in Storybrooke. He just hoped there actions in the past hadn’t accidently changed anything.

Emma looked like she was about to say anything else but then there was a rustle from the nearest tree line, situated to Hook’s left. Both of them swung around in the direction of the noise as Robin Hood stumbled into the clearing. The man jumped in shock when he realised he wasn’t alone and raised his crossbow slightly. When he realised it was them his face changed from shock to...joy?!

“You’re back!” the outlaw declared far cheerfully for a man who had betrayed them and caused a lot of this mess in the first place.

Hook eyed the crossbow in Robin’s hand with suspicion and drew his sword just as Emma raised her own hand, producing a fireball. The man instantly stepped back and dropped his crossbow, quick to show he was no threat. Another figure barrelled through the tree line and straight into the back of the outlaw. It was Ruby.  

“Whoa hold on!” the waitress called out when she saw the scene in front of her. “He’s okay Emma! Zelena had his heart!”

Apparently Emma trusted Ruby enough to take her word for it because the blond dropped her hand down and the flame disappeared.

“Where is Regina?” the blond asked. It was clear Emma was in no mood for conversation.

“At your parent’s apartment” Ruby replied. It was obvious by her tone and facial expression that the former Evil Queen was in dire straits though. “But Emma the last I heard she was really very sick.”

Hook watched the pained look flash across the blonde’s face as she scrambled around in the satchel and pulled out the Queen’s heart. There was hardly any glow to it at all and the beat was so faint you could barely see it. Emma physically wretched at the sight and despite the sadness he felt at not being the person she wanted he couldn’t see her suffer. If it was Regina she wanted then he would bloody well make sure she had her. There had to be something good in this whole friendship business right? Everyone else seemed to go in for it so why not him.

“Go Swan” he encouraged her. “You can do the poofing thing if you put your mind to it I know you can. Think of your home and think of Regina. Magic is emotion.”

Emma nodded her head and forced her eyes closed. For a few seconds nothing happened but then suddenly there was an electric blue cloud of smoke and Emma was gone. He only hoped she’d landed in the desired spot.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Emma POV**

 

Trying to re-materialise across town was probably a crazy thing for Emma to attempt with her complete lack of magical training but there was no time to lose. It was a good twenty minute jog back to the apartment from the farmhouse and by that time the heart would have definitely stopped completely. In the Enchanted Forest she had managed every bit of magic she had put her mind too and as Hook helpfully encouraged her magic was indeed emotion. Emma had plenty of emotion to call upon right now.

It worked instantly but she nearly fell flat on her face when her feet hit the floor in the living room area of her parent’s apartment. The only reason she remained upright was because she managed to grab out with her free hand and use the arm of the sofa to hold herself up. She had been successful in her attempt at transporting herself but she needed to work on it if she was going to arrive with a bit of dignity next time.

It took her a couple of seconds to get her bearings because using magic when she was already exhausted had nearly wiped her out. Her head spun and her stomach felt like it was twisting in her abdomen to the point where she thought she may vomit. Luckily for the blond the wave of nausea passed before that happened. The room was still spinning though and her mind was foggy when she heard someone calling her name.

“Mom!” her son called from the bedroom.

Suddenly he appeared from behind the stairwell and came bounding across the room towards her at speed.

“Henry!” she exclaimed; so glad to see him again after a couple of days in the past not knowing if she would make it back to him.

Emma opened her free arm out to hug him but instead of throwing himself into her arms like she expected Henry grabbed the arm and started tugging her towards the bed were Regina lay. Rumpelstiltskin was stood at one side of the bed looking pensively at her but apart from those two the apartment appeared empty.

 “Mom mom hurry” he instructed her as physically directed her towards the bed. “She’s really sick mom you need to do something!”

When Emma arrived at the foot of the bed where Regina laid she felt like vomiting again. The brunette was ghostly pale and covered in a sheen of sweat. Her body was gripped by fever and she was visibly shivering. There was an IV in her right arm to attach her to a drip. Emma had never seen Regina look anything other than perfect so seeing her so very sick was terrifying. Her skin was so pale she almost looked like a zombie.

The blond stepped around the bed and closer to Rumpel, lifting the heart so he could get a clear look at it.

“It’s barely beating” she admitted.

Rumpel placed his hand over the top of the heart and felt the lightness of its slow thudding. He glanced towards Henry and then back at Emma with a concerned luck on his face. Emma could tell by the look on his face that there was a real danger that she had arrived too late.

“Her heart is resilient that’s why Zelena wanted it” Rumpel tried to assure her. “Get it back in her chest and let’s take it from there dearie.”

 He moved back and let Emma slide in front of him before walking away and taking up a position by Henry. It wasn’t lost on Emma that he put his arm around her sons shoulder and Henry responded by leaning in like he would any other family member.

She quickly turned her attention back to the unconscious and sickly form in front of her and peeled down the blanket that covered her. Emma edged forward and knelt onto the bed. She supported herself on one hand so she was hovering over the brunette and gently reached down placing the heart against her chest. The blond sucked in a deep breath and pressed down, surprising herself with how easily the heart and her hand slipped inside the empty cavity.

It was a strange experience having your hand inside someone but it was also quite exhilaratingly intimate. It would probably be more so if Regina’s heart was beating at a more normal rate. The only thing distracting her from the exhilarating feeling was a terrible itch just above her right wrist that she had no way of scratching whilst wearing the royal armour.

“How will we know if it’s worked if she’s under a sleeping curse?” she asked Rumpel, trying to ignore the itch. The blond wondered if the heartbeat would stay exceptionally low if Regina was cursed.

“She’s not!” Henry exclaimed. “I kissed her and now the curse is broken and I remember everything!”

Now she had been told he had his memories back she was surprised she hadn’t realised the second she arrived in the apartment. The boy that had bounded over to her was obviously Storybrooke Henry and not the boy without those memories she had lived in New York with. Emma couldn’t see Henry because he was behind her but she could tell from his exuberant tone that he was happy to have the memories back and delighted that he had been the one to lift Regina’s curse. To think at one time he and Emma had thought the brunette didn’t really love him. It seemed absurd in hindsight.

After several more seconds without anything happening Emma uncurled her hand from around the brunette’s heart and gently pulled her hand out of Regina’s chest. She left her palm pressed above the material of Regina’s top, keeping it hovering over her heart in the hope she would start to feel a more consistent thud against her hand.

The blond was expecting Regina to suddenly regain consciousness and sit up if she was no longer cursed. Or at least she was hoping that was going to happen. Instead the woman remained unconscious and feverish underneath Emma’s touch and there was still no disenable heart beat. If it wasn’t for the slow and shallow rise of her chest, indicating breathing, she could be mistaken as dead. Fear started to grip Emma that she really was too late.

“Regina?” she called out softly. There was no response so she slid her hand up from the brunette’s chest to her shoulder and gently shook her.

“REGINA?!” she called out a little louder. There was still nothing.

Henry clambered onto the bed on the other side of the unconscious brunette to Emma and gazed down at her too. There was panic in his eyes which matched the panic Emma was feeling. Emma turned towards Gold who was stood stoically at the end of the bed watching the scene. 

“Nothing is happening! Shouldn’t she have woken up straight away?”

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

 

**Storybrooke – Rumpel POV**

Rumpelstiltskin watched on awkwardly as Emma and Henry leant over the still unconscious form of Regina on the bed and tried to wake her. The blond called out Regina’s name a couple of times but the brunette showed no signs of responding.

“Nothing is happening! Shouldn’t she have woken up straight away?” Emma directed her question towards him.

 Under normal circumstances Rumpel would indeed expect the brunette to instantly awaken now her heart was in her chest but there had been nothing normal about what her body and heart had gone through. It was bound to delay her recovery but he was confident that Regina would indeed recover. She was too stubborn not to.

“Both Regina’s body and her heart are in ill health and severely drained Miss Swan” he explained. “All we can do is continue to nurse her and hope she makes a full recovery but it may take some time. Belle is on her way back from the hospital now and on route she is stopping to pick up a potion that had been brewing over night. It should help a little but nothing will help her more than rest.”

As he spoke he noticed that the blond reached down and gently slid some of Regina’s hair from her face. The side of her finger glanced across Regina’s skin. It was not the touch of a nurse but the touch of a lover. He had always suspected that there was more feelings involved for both women than what they showed on the surface but it was still surprising to see Emma act so reverently in front of him.

Once he’d finished speaking there was a slight delay as the blond gazed down at Regina before his words fully sunk in. Emma suddenly sat upright and turned on the bed to face him.

“Hospital?” she asked. “Is everyone okay? Is someone hurt?”

As she spoke Emma’s eyes darted around the area of the apartment on view with increasing panic, obviously fearful that something bad had happened to her absent parents.

“Grandma has had a baby boy!” Henry exclaimed in response.

Emma instantly relaxed and Rumpel smiled at his grandson’s excitement. When they had first found out his reaction had been muted but now that his mother had returned and hopefully saved his other mother he could finally celebrate.

“Wow okay” Emma chuckled. “I’ve missed a lot whilst I was skipping around the Enchanted Forest of the past.”

He’d been so caught up in treating Regina that Rumpel had almost forgot that the portal the blond and the Pirate had ventured through was not any old portal. They had gone back to the past. It was amazing they had returned without doing any damage to the timeline.

“At what point in history did you end up?” he asked the blond. Her attention had drifted back to the unconscious Regina but when he asked the question she returned her gaze to him with a confused expression.

“You don’t remember?” Emma asked; surprise evident in her voice. “I saw you there...you gave me a memory potion so that a young Regina and Snow wouldn’t remember meeting me.”

Rumpel knew that he had a couple of missing days that he had never been able to explain back in the days when he was first giving Regina magic lesson’s. He had always suspected he had chosen to remove them from his mind himself because there was evidence of a memory potion being brewed at his castle when he had returned. Now he knew why.

“I must have taken a memory potion myself” he replied simply.

Emma looked like she may press him for an explanation as to why he would have done that but she was distracted by her own arm. Letting out a slight gasp she grabbed her right wrist and wriggled the armour plating on it, her face contorting as she did so.

“Are you okay mom?” Henry asked, reaching across Regina and laying his hand on the elbow of the arm that was bothering her.

“It’s nothing kid” Emma shrugged of his concern. “My arm is just really itchy and uncomfortable.”

Rumpel stepped slowly around the bed and towards her. There were no obvious signs of her being in a physical fight. Her only obvious ailment was exhaustion as her eyes were red and face pale.

“Are you injured? Would you like me to take a look at it?” he asked as he came to a stop by her.

“It’s fine its probably just this damn armour” Emma assured him. “I could do with getting a shower and changed.”

Rumpel cast another glance over her and decided to let it go. The armour she wore was bound to be uncomfortable and ill fitted and could well be digging into her wrist. He had a sneaky feeling, call it intuition; that something else was going on but for now he was very willing to give her the benefit of the doubt

“You’re right you should get yourself cleaned up” he agreed. “Henry and I will sit and watch Regina for you.”

The blond nodded at him in appreciation and climbed off the bed. She gave Regina’s hand a small squeeze before heading off up the stairs in the direction of her old room. Once she was gone Henry picked up his mobile phone from the bedside table next to the bowl of water he had been using to cool Regina’s raging temperature with.

“I’ll let grandma and gramps know mom is back” Henry informed him.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Charming POV**

 

David was slumped comatose in the hospital chair beside his wife’s bed. Snow was sleeping peacefully after giving birth and their new baby son was in hospital cot on the other side of his chair. Like his mother the baby was sleeping soundly too. David on the other hand could not settle and get some much needed rest but it gave him time to contemplate life.

His wife’s body truly did choose the worst possible times to give birth. It’s not like they done it often but the twice they had she had managed to go into labour with an Evil Queens curse bearing down on them and whilst their town was under threat from flying monkeys and a Wicked Witch trying to erase them from history. Life was never dull in the Charming household.

Another nurse wandered into the room and silently checked on both mother and baby. David silently nodded to them by way of a greeting but he wasn’t really in the mood for conversation. After a couple of minutes fumbling around the nurse left again.

He checked his watch and sighed. It was late morning now and he hadn’t heard anything from Emma yet. That was not a good sign considering what Belle had informed him about Regina’s rapidly decaying health. It was also not good for his chances of seeing his daughter again. Just as he was thinking about his daughter the phone in his pocket began to vibrate.

He retrieved it from his jeans to find that Henry was calling him. That was either a very good or a very bad thing so he quietly got up from his seat and stepped outside the hospital room and into the hallway where he was less likely to wake his family.

“Henry?” he greeted when he answered the call.

“Hi gramps!” his grandson greeted in return. “I’m just ringing to let you know that mom is back safe and sound.”

David was so relieved to hear word of Emma finally that he leant back against the cool white hospital wall and closed his eyes. If Emma was back safe then she had succeeded in stopping Zelena changing the past. He had never really doubted her ability to succeed but he had been terrified by the fact he could do nothing to help her.

“Is she okay?” he asked. “Did she bring Regina’s heart back? Is Regina okay?”

He was presuming that the answer was a yes because Henry seemed quite upbeat. If Emma had returned empty handed then his grandson would be mortified that his adoptive mother was going to die.

“Well she hasn’t woken up yet but Mr Gold thinks it’s because she was so drained so it will take her time to recover” Henry explained. “Mom has gone to get changed and stuff because she was all dressed up like a knight and she kind of smelt.”

David couldn’t help but snigger at Henry’s comment. Two days running around the Enchanted Forest would certainly build up plenty of grime and sweat. He had never noticed on both occasions he had lived there because everyone smelt like that...it was the norm. He had noticed when Emma and Snow had returned after their run in with Cora that they smelt more...earthly...than he had become accustomed to in Storybrooke.

“Okay well we should be back from the hospital later this afternoon after Snow has rested a bit” David informed his grandson. There was a pause at the other end of the line and David wondered if they had been cut off.

“We can’t all fit in the apartment” Henry suddenly spoke up again. “Perhaps I should get Mr Gold to help us get mom back to her house and ma and I can look after her there?”

David knew Snow would be disappointed to arrive home to an empty apartment and not see Emma or Henry but it was probably for the best. There was barely space for Emma and Henry to stay there too never mind Regina. It was likely that Emma and Henry would want to move out and into their own place now the baby was around. That was if Emma chose to stay, she had intimated to him previously that they may return to New York but then that was before Henry had his memories back. David was sure that fact would change everything as Henry would be reluctant to leave Regina and the rest of his family.

“That is probably a very good idea” David finally replied. “If Regina needs time to recover she may not appreciate a crying baby keeping her awake.”

Henry chuckled but David was distracted by the sound of someone calling his name. It sounded very much like his wife was awake and looking for him.

“I better go” he told his grandson. “Snow has just woken up I think.”

“Okay” Henry replied casually, “love you both.”

The phone went dead so Charming rammed it back into the pocket of his jeans and headed back inside to see his wife. She was now sat up in the bed and peering over the cot at their little boy as much as possible.

“Hey” he greeted, “Henry just rang to say that Emma is home safe and that they have returned Regina’s heart to her.”

“Oh thank god!” she exclaimed; releasing a deep breath.

David approached the bed again and stood to the side of her just in front of the seat he had occupied for the last hour or so. He grasped her hand and affectionately squeezed it.

 “How are you feeling?” David asked.

“Pretty good actually” his wife replied cheerfully. “I certainly feel a lot lighter.”

He leant across the bed and placed a delicate kiss on her forehead. He pulled back slightly so he could see her face but remained hovering over her. His wife smiled broadly at him and David found himself smiling just as broadly back. He hadn’t had the chance to bask in the ‘new baby’ feeling before because of all the worry he was carrying around about Emma and the town. Now that worry had dissipated he felt deliriously happy.

 “We have a son” he stated.

 “We do” Snow giggled in response and reached up and cupped his face. He allowed her to guide him down and kiss her softly on the lips.

 “What are we going to call him?” Snow asked when they parted again.

David hadn’t really given it much thought. After what happened with Emma the first time he was reluctant to think of baby names or pick out godparents until after they had the baby safely in their arms. They hadn’t ever discussed it between them so David presumed that Snow had been plagued by the same thoughts.

“I have no idea!” he admitted. He gazed down at her and saw the smile on her face grow even wider as she looked at him.

“Me neither” she admitted before bursting into a fit of giggles which promptly woke their new born up.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Hook’s POV**

 

When Emma had transported herself off to save her woman Hook had been left stood at the farmhouse with Robin Hood and Ruby. The two of them had explained about the flying monkey attack during the night and that they were patrolling the woods to find out where they were hiding.

He had no idea how the death of Zelena would affect the creatures. There was a chance their spell would be broken and they would all be turning back into their human forms. If that was the case there was going to be many confused and terrified people roaming the woods. The other possibility was that the spell would still remain and one of the magical practitioners of Storybrooke would have to find a way to break it. If that was the case then there would be a lot of confused and terrified flying monkeys soaring around the woods. Either way it would be something to keep his mind focussed away from Emma and the fact he was clearly never going to woo her. It wasn’t like he was about to try and compete with Regina for her or he’d end up spit roasted.

So Hook had ended up joining the werewolf and the outlaw on their mission and was now wandering along behind the two of them. They had gotten quite deep into the woodland, far deeper than Hook would chose to go alone but his two companions were obviously familiar with terrain. After about thirty minutes Robin dropped back slightly so that he was walking next to Hook.

“So you were Emma’s companion in the Inn that night?” Robin asked as they fell into step together.

Hook was surprised to hear that this outlaw had remembered Emma. Obviously he hadn’t been given a sleeping curse like the others but it had been a random conversation in an Inn with a woman he never saw again until several years later in a completely different context.

“You recognised her?” Hook replied cautiously.

Even despite Ruby’s explanation about the outlaw not being in procession of his own heart Hook wasn’t yet sure if he trusted him. It was hard to shake the fact that he had given Zelena the Queens heart even though Hook knew all about the power of an enchanted heart.

“It took me a while to place her but finally I did” Robin explained. “Even then I wasn’t completely sure until the Prince told me she had gone through the portal after the Witch.”

Hook regarded the man curiously as he spoke. If Robin Hood had told Zelena of Emma’s presence in the past surely she would have taken more care to not make it so. Or perhaps he and Emma were just fated to go through that portal after her no matter what precautions the Witch had tried to take.

“You didn’t tell Zelena?” the Pirate quizzed.

“She didn’t ask” Hood responded, chuckling lightly before he continued. “She may have been able to control my actions but she couldn’t read my mind.”

 Hook smiled lightly in response. He didn’t understand the theory behind travel or quite how it all worked. Somehow speaking to Robin had done nothing to change the timeline even though he recognised Emma so did that mean that somehow time was like a loop and there had in fact never been a time when he hadn’t spoke to Emma in the Inn so therefore nothing was different? Or had they just been fortunate that Robin had been able to keep his mouth shut and therefore not affect anything?

Just as Hook was mulling over the complexities of time travel Ruby slammed to a halt in front of them, her werewolf senses obviously kicking in.

“Stop” she commanded firmly. Hook complied instantly but Robin crept silently forward so he was alongside the waitress.

Hook could hear the faint sound of snapping twigs and rustling leaves but he had no idea what it meant. Just in case it was something bad he rested his hand on the hilt of the cumbersome sword that came with the armour he still adorned. He and Emma had both managed to lose their precious sword and coat in the past despite their best efforts.

“Is that?” Robin whispered just loud enough for Hook to hear. The Pirate still wasn’t sure whether or not to expect a flying monkey attack or not and he was becoming impatient. He was about to snap at the pair of them but then Ruby spoke up again.

“People” she stated.

Just as the word left her mouth then a large people appeared a short distance away over the horizon in the woods. There had to be around thirty to forty people heading towards them looking as dazed as one would expect them to after spending time as winged beasts.

“Lots of people” Robin commented dryly as the group came fully into view.

There was there a lot of very confused people of both genders and all ages but they had one thing very much in common.

“Lots of naked people” Hook mumbled, not entirely sure where to look. “Well this is awkward.”

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

 

**Storybrooke – Emma POV**

The blond quickly removed her armour and stepped into the shower, enjoying the feeling of the hot water pounding down on her head and body. It was easing her tired and aching muscles. The shower gave her a few moments of serene and peaceful bliss. It was a chance for her to reflect on the past two days without other people’s prying questions or Hook’s jealous humour. Not that he had been too bad in the end. If anything they had made the first steps towards becoming actual friends rather than her just being someone he was perusing as a love interest.

Her time in the Enchanted Forest had been an eye opener about her families past. Not only had she briefly saw and heard a young Snow White in full prim Princess action but she had met and spoken to a young Regina. Good god she had even kissed a young Regina! It had been fascinating to meet the version of the brunette that was still young and relatively naive...a lost and lonely young woman who didn’t feel at home in her surroundings. She could really sympathise with that.

Emma’s journey through the Enchanted Forest of the past had been a voyage of self discovery more than anything else though. She had finally pin pointed her confusion feelings towards her son’s other mother. It had been a shock when she had first put the pieces of the jigsaw together but the more she thought about it all the more it made sense. She had always been drawn to Regina in some way....whether it was to fight her, fight with her or protect her. There had always been strong emotion and an underlying physical attraction involved. The brunette, despite all their past issues, represented something that Emma had been desperately seeking. Regina represented family and a steady home for Emma and for Henry.

The only problem was that Emma may feel that way but she had no idea if Regina would return those feelings.  The younger Regina had certainly found her attractive and after the looks adult Regina had thrown her over the past couple of years Emma was confident that attraction was still present between them. However, finding someone physically appealing and wanting to date them were two different things. Snow and Regina may have buried the hatchet but there was a lot of negative history between the two families. Would Regina ever be able to look at Emma as anything other than the daughter of Snow White and the woman who broke her curse?

Opening her eyes for the first time she had climbed under the stream of water Emma reached out for the bottle of vanilla and cinnamon shower gel. As her hand grasped the bottle Emma froze and looked down at the extended arm. On the inside of her arm, just above the wrist and where it had been itching ever since she had fought the Wicked Witch, there was a very familiar mark. It wasn’t familiar because it had always been there...it was familiar because she had seen it before on someone else.

“Shit!” Emma exclaimed as she continued to stare at her arm.

Looking back at her was a perfectly formed and intricate tattoo of a rearing lion inside a black crest.  Her mind raced back to her conversation with Robin in the Inn. He had said that the Royal guards were made up of the bravest and most noble born knights in the Kingdom and that to earn the right to be one of these Knights a person must do something brave, selfless and honourable. Emma was certainly noble born and technically her role as the Saviour made her some kind of knight. Apparently saving Snow White’s life or preventing Zelena altering the past had fitted the other requirements.

If Emma bore the tattoo then she could very well be Regina’s true love or soul mate...or whatever it was the pixie dust had shown her. Emma was kind of thrilled by that idea but at the same time she wasn’t. She didn’t want Regina to give them a chance because she felt locked into that destiny by fate. Emma wanted the brunette to actually want her. There was no way she was letting Regina see the tattoo.

She wanted to hide in the shower but eventually she had to succumb to the world around her. The blond quickly washed her body with shower gel and then washed her hair. Once she was completely rinsed off she stopped the stream of water and stepped out into the bathroom. She reached for one of the white fluffy towels and dried her body quickly, taking the worst of the water from her hair in the process.

The blond had brought a clean outfit into the bathroom with her and luckily the black blouse she had borrowed from her mother had long sleeves. Emma quickly dressed herself and cleaned her teeth. After finishing her teeth she glanced at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a damp mess and fell about her face. In Neverland she had witnessed Regina dry her own hair by magic and wondered if she could do the same. It was probably not the best idea in the world especially as she had used a lot of magic over the last couple of days but she couldn’t resist attempting it regardless.

Closing her eyes Emma pictured herself with straightened dry hair and within seconds she felt the wet mop on her head lighten and dry out. She opened her eyes again and looked into the mirror, remarkable pleased by the results. She really was getting the hang of this magic thing.

After she was all dressed and dry she headed out of the bathroom and back into the living space of her parents apartment. Belle had now arrived and was sat at Regina’s side by the bed. Emma’s son and Mr Gold were sat on two of the chairs by Regina’s bed, angled towards each other playing cards. By the serious looks of concentration on their faces an outsider would presume they were playing poker but they in fact appeared to be playing snap.

“Careful he’s vicious at card games” Emma warned the older man. Both Rumpel and Henry glanced up from their card game and smiled at the same time.

“I’ve noticed” he replied, raising his rather reddened hand so she could see it. “I think he’s inherited my competitive streak because he certainly didn’t get that from your parents.”

Henry wriggled his eyebrows and Emma chuckled at his antics. On cue Henry placed down a five of hearts on top of a five of spades and the two of them yelled snap as they slammed their hands down. Henry was the quicker of the two of them and his hand slammed down on the side table with a resounding thud. His smug look was matched by a look of frustration on Mr Gold’s. Regina was obviously still well away if she was sleeping through that kind of racket.

“How is she?” Emma asked, running her gaze over the brunette. She certainly looked a little better as she was no longer sweating and translucently white.

“I’ve just given her the first dose of potion and her breathing and pulse rate seems to be less shallow now” Belle reassured her. “It should be fine to move her.”

Emma was relieved to hear that there was some sign of improvement but she wouldn’t be happy until Regina actually woke up. Until then she would have an underlying fear that she had failed the brunette and had been too late. It took a few seconds for her to catch onto the end of Belle’s answer.

“Move her?” she enquired.

Henry placed down his cards and turned his attention solely to her. He reached out to her and Emma stepped towards him and took the offered hand. 

“Mary Margaret, David and the baby will be back soon and I think it would be better if we took mom back to her home and cared for her there” he explained.

The blond was slightly ashamed that she hadn’t thought of her parents but then she had been rather distracted with Regina and her own new body art. It was cramped in the apartment at the best of times and with a new baby and Regina there it would be unworkable. Plus Regina wouldn’t be able to rest and recuperate with a screaming baby keeping her awake at all hours. She and Henry really needed to start looking for an apartment of their own. It was something to ask Regina about when she was feeling better as she was the Mayor. If anyone would be able to find them somewhere to live at the drop of a hat then it would be her.

“Yeah I think you’re right” she agreed.

Henry smiled widely and released her hand. Apparently now she had agreed to his plan it meant they were leaving right away as he began to wander around the apartment collecting his things. She turned to follow him into the living space.

“Emma there is something else” Belle called after her. Emma stopped in her tracks and turned around to face the younger woman again. “Ruby just called to say that the flying monkeys are reverting back to people. She also said not to worry because she and Hook are going to deal with it so you just focus on Regina for now.”

“Okay” Emma sighed.

She felt guilty for leaving the two of them in the lurch and dealing with so much shit especially as Hook must be as exhausted as she was. Emma really did need to focus on helping Regina recover now. Not only because she wanted to but because their son needed her too. She would disappoint him if she palmed the responsibility on someone else and he had suffered enough disappointments in his short life. It was time for her and his other mom to create some happier memories.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Hook POV**

 

The dilemma Hook, Robin and Ruby had faced was how do you move forty freezing cold naked people four miles into town as quickly as possible without too many people seeing. Ruby had quickly come up with a solution where to temporarily house them as they had apparently used the town hall as a base when the original curse was broken.

She had been able to quickly ring the hospital and organise for a couple of nurses and some blankets to be taken to the town hall and Granny had agreed to organise the dwarves and start a clothes collection bank. Some of the people had been Storybrooke residents before and therefore would have homes to go to after being checked out but others like Aurora and Philip were new to this land and had nowhere. That was especially awkward considering Aurora was very pregnant. Apparently she had been very pregnant a nearly a year ago before being turned into a flying monkey and that had prevented her moving any further with her pregnancy. It was probably a good thing or she may have given birth to an actual monkey and not a cursed human baby.

That still left them short of a transport solution until Robin of all people had come up with an idea. He had suggested using the ‘big carriage’ that he had seen transporting children to their school as it carried many people. That big carriage was of course a bus, something Hook had learnt about from his first small stint hunting out Rumpelstiltskin in New York. The school bus was only a small bus but it would only take two journey’s to get everyone back into town.

Ruby had managed to get in touch with the bus driver via the man who fixes machines....a mechanic the waitress had called him. Once the bus had arrived Ruby had taken the first half of the passengers, those that looked the most uncomfortable, and left Hook and Robin waiting with the others. Luckily Ruby had taken all the women with her but it had still been rather uncomfortable and embarrassing being left stood around with twenty freezing cold naked men.     

He and Robin had managed an awkward conversation with a very naked little John about what he remembered. It had turned out that he, like the others, remembered nothing after being turned into a flying ape until they woke up buck naked in the woods a couple of hours before. After a while little John’s nakedness had become so awkward that Robin had given him his neck tie to cover his dignity with.

Finally the bus had returned and this time it had blankets from the town hall on it. So at least on the bus ride back everyone had been covered up. Hook wasn’t sure he could have coped with being cooped up in such a small place with so much exposed male skin. As they pulled into the town hall Ruby rushed out to greet them. Several family members were already gathered outside too and rushed to greet their loved ones. Once everyone had piled out of the bus Ruby called out to silence them so she could speak.

“If you go inside there is soup and hot drinks. There is a pile of donated clothing that is growing all the time so just route through and find yourself something that fits. One of the Dwarfs and a nurse will be around to take you name and details and to check on you to make sure you are okay. If you have a home here once that process is complete you can return to it. If not we are setting up cots in the hall for tonight and we will try and relocate you as quickly as possible.”

Everyone began to trudge into the hall and Hook and Robin lingered outside to talk to Ruby. He was impressed at the way the young woman handled herself and dealt with the crisis in the Charming’s absence. She had quite a bit of natural presence. In fact she was quite hot full stop and he wondered how he hadn’t noticed before. He had obviously been far too busy pining over Emma. There could be hundreds of attractive women running around Storybrooke who would be far more interested in his manly charms than Regina’s alluring good looks.

“This all got sorted quickly love” Hook complimented the waitress.  

“We’re a small community” she replied; “and we are used to crisis.”

Hook chuckled at her words. That they were. Ever since he’d arrived in Storybrooke with Cora there had been one crisis followed by another. Life was never dull around here especially if you were friends with the Charming’s. They attracted trouble like honey attracts bees.

“It does mean we have had to pull everyone away from the main street clean up except your Merry Men” Ruby turned her attention towards the outlaw.

By her tone Hook could tell that she felt guilty for leaving them with such a mammoth task but Robin seemed unconcerned. He suspected the outlaw felt like they were somehow doing penance for his actions even though Zelena had been controlling him.

“I’ll go back and help them now” Robin offered. “Where is Roland?”

“He’s still with Granny” Ruby assured him. “He’s been helping her in the kitchen making soup for everyone...apparently he’s good at peeling vegetables.”

Hook couldn’t quite imagine the overly cute little creature that was Robin Hood’s son being a dab hand in the kitchen. He probably had to learn all sorts of skills living in the forest though so maybe potato peeling was one of them.

Robin nodded politely to them both and headed off down the road towards the main street. Hook was almost tempted to follow him to witness the destruction the flying monkey’s had caused but he really didn’t have the energy to help with the clear up. Instead he moved to step around Ruby and head towards the hall but her arm reached out and blocked his passage.

“You need to get yourself some soup and take a break Pirate” she ordered him. “You look dead on your feet.”

He felt dead on his feet in all honesty and he was grateful for her concern. Due to Emma’s desire to escort Regina back to her castle he had failed to get any sleep last night after only managing a couple of hours the night before.

“Aye” he agreed, “I could do with that.”

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Henry POV**

 

Henry and Belle pulled on the road outside 108 Mifflin Street in Mr Gold’s black Cadillac. Once she cut the engine Henry jumped out and began to remove his and Emma’s cases from the back seat. Belle came around the side of the car to help him and between the two of them they carried them to the front door. Regina’s bag had been left at Granny’s on the night of the party so they had picked that up too whilst getting his and Emma’s things. Henry fished his adopted mother’s keys out of her bag and opened the door so they could but the bags inside the foyer.

Mr Gold had suggested he and Belle go collect everything from Granny’s, including some food, and that Emma and Mr Gold would use magic to transport Regina quickly and with minimal fuss once Henry and Belle were at the house.

So whilst Belle went back to the car to get the meals Granny had sent for them Henry fished his phone out of his coat pocket and called his mom. It took several rings before she picked up.

“Hey mom we are here” he informed her as soon as she answered the phone.

“Okay” she replied before cutting the phone off. Belle arrived back at his side with the bag of food as the call ended.

Henry looked out down the driveway and within seconds there was a mixture of blue and red smoke which vanished to leave Mr Gold and Emma, who was holding his other mother in her arms like a hero from a movie would, standing just before the step to the porch.

His blond mother instantly started walking towards the house, grimacing under the weight of his other mom. Mr Gold followed behind with a blank expression on his face.

“I’ll take her upstairs” Emma muttered as she carried the brunette past Henry and headed straight for the staircase. Belle placed the bag of food down and peeled away from him, following Emma up the stairs; carefully walking behind the blond in-case the weight of his unconscious mother toppled her backwards.

“Your mother is pretty tired you know Henry” Mr Gold told him once Belle and Emma were out of sight and earshot. “You may want to offer to sit with Regina for a bit whilst Emma sleeps.”

Henry nodded in agreement. He could see that his blond mom was tired even though she would never admit up to it. It was nice of Mr Gold to look out for her like that. Henry felt like he and the older man were starting to bond.

“Hey granddad?” Henry caught the man’s attention again. Mr Gold smiled at him warmly and seemed to really like being referred to as such.  “I liked spending time with you...could I come and hang out with you for a bit tomorrow?”

“Of course Henry” Mr Gold agreed. “I’d like that too.”

Henry could see how sincere the older man was and it made him smile. When he had been walking in the park with Regina...when he had thought she was the Mayor and had no memory of her...she had told him that one day he would have more family then he would know what to do with. Now he had his memories back he realised how right she was. He hadn’t even touched on his relationship with this grandfather because it had been such a new thing. He had found out about it when he met his dad for the first time and getting to know him had been his first priority. It seemed as good a time as any to discover more about Mr Gold especially after he had confided in him about his possible link to Henry’s adoptive mom.

Belle appeared from upstairs during Henry’s train of thought but Emma remained upstairs for now. Both he and Mr Gold looked to the approaching woman and Henry smiled at the look of sheer joy on his granddad’s face when he saw his girlfriend.

“Everything okay?” the older man asked her.

“Emma managed to change her into bedclothes with magic without accidently turning her into a toad so yes she’s fine” Belle quipped as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Henry was quite impressed with how much magic his mom had mastered in a short space of time. She really was special.

“Right well we’ll be off then Henry” Gold informed him before giving him some instructions. “Keep us informed about Regina and if you need us for anything just call okay?”

“Okay” Henry agreed before giving the older man a loose hug. Mr Gold seemed surprised by the affection but hugged him back. After Henry released him both he and Belle started to walk out the front door but not before Belle threw a quick happy wink in Henry’s direction. Apparently she was pleased he and Rumpelstiltskin were getting along too. Perhaps Henry could give his granddad a shove in the right direction and get him to officially make Belle is step-grandmother. She had said she was hopeful of it happening after all.  

 

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

 

**Storybrooke – Emma POV**

Henry had been a little angel in the early afternoon and sat with Regina for a couple of hours whilst Emma went next door and slept in the spare room. She hadn’t even got under the covers and she had been out like a light as soon as her head hit the pillows. Even Regina’s spare bed and bed sheets were luxurious and Emma had felt like she was lying in a puddle of silk. So when the blonde’s phone alarm went off just two hours later it was a monumental struggle to get up.

Emma rolled out of the bed still very groggy from her short but deep sleep and landed unceremoniously in a heap on the floor. She stood up and stretched, groaning as several muscles across her shoulders and back crunched and clicked. She headed straight into Regina’s room were Henry sat in the dressing table chair which he had pulled to the side of the bed. He was facing away from the door playing on his Sony PSP and didn’t notice her enter until she came to stand next to him.

“Oh hey mom” he greeted when he saw her. “You sure you don’t want to sleep a little longer?”

“No I’m all good” Emma assured him even though she could have done with another ten hours worth of rest.  She wanted to be there when Regina woke up. She had been the last person who the brunette had seen before falling into unconsciousness and as selfish as it may be she wanted to be the first person who Regina saw when she awoke.

“Well she hasn’t woken up at all” Henry stated as though he had somehow read her mind. “She got a little hot and feverish before so I opened the window. I spoke to granddad on the phone and he said that her temperature would go up and down a bit as her body healed.”

When her son had first used the word granddad she had presumed he meant David even though Henry usually called him ‘gramps’ but it was quickly apparent that he was referring to Rumpelstiltskin. The two of them had gotten closer whilst she was away chasing Zelena around the past and Emma supposed that it was a good thing. They were the closest link each other had to Neal and Rumpel had certainly proven that he cared for Henry by risking his life for him in Neverland.

“Do you know how to work you mom’s fancy coffee machine because I really haven’t got a clue?” she asked him, changing the topic. She’s taken one look at the machine when she had gone downstairs to get a glass of water before going to bed and known she’d probably break it if she tried to use it.

 

“Yeah I can work it” Henry replied, laughing lightly at her lack of technical knowhow. “I’ll make you an Americano ma ‘cos you look like you need it.”

He vacated the seat and started to walk past her so she gave him a gentle swat across the back of his head for being so cheeky.

“Gee thanks kid” she chuckled as he tried to duck her hand but failed. 

Her son headed out the room and closed the door behind him leaving her alone with the unconscious Regina. The light in the bedroom was turned off and only the window and the bedside lamp provided any illumination. The orange light from the lamp gave Regina’s skin a strange glow and it was obvious she was still quite pale if the light was reflecting of her skin in such a way.

Emma ignored the chair for now and instead perched on the side of the bed so she was sat close to Regina’s form. Some of the brunette’s hair had been blown across her face from the light breeze creeping in through the open window. Emma reached out and smoothed the hair back behind Regina’s ear. The brunette’s skin was warm to the touch but it was smooth and dry so at least she wasn’t currently feverish just running a slight temperature.

The blonde’s fingers involuntarily trailed from Regina’s brow down her cheek and jaw bone. She was taking advantage of the situation really by allowing herself to admire the brunette like this but it was hard to stop...not when she looked so peaceful and felt so smooth. Even after being close to death Regina’s skin was still silky and perfect and the only blemish was the scar above her lip. Emma wondered what story lay behind the mark as she ran the tip of her forefinger over it.

“Hey” she mumbled to the brunette. She’s seen something on a documentary once that said that unconscious people could often hear some of what was occurring around them. Emma hoped that maybe Regina could hear her now and take some comfort from the fact she was cared for.

 “You need to wake up pretty soon Regina because you’re kinda scaring me” Emma continued, her fingers still tracing the brunette’s features.

There was so much emotion swelling up inside her as she gazed down at Regina. There were so many things she wanted to tell her but she didn’t know if she would be brave enough to ever say them; not whilst Regina was awake anyway.

“I’m so sorry it took me so long to get your heart back to you” Emma told the unconscious woman. “I thought...well I didn’t know you were still alive. I was sure whatever magic that Zelena used to create the portal had killed you. I thought you were dead and gone and that I’d failed you and I’d failed Henry. I thought I’d lost you and that hurt like hell. Then your twisted sister showed me your heart and I realised it was still beating...that there was hope...”

Tears stung her eyes and silently slipped down her cheeks as Emma spoke. In the Enchanted Forest she had a mission to complete...something to chase and distract her. Here she felt the meaning behind those words full force. 

“I’m so glad that you’re going to be okay” the blond finished, her voice cracking. “More so than I’ll probably ever be able to explain to you Regina.”

Emma ran her hands across her cheeks to remove the tears before leaning down and pressing her lips to Regina’s forehead. She lingered there only briefly before sitting upright again and taking hold of the brunette’s hand.

Just as she did there was the unmistakable sound of Henry dragging his feet along the hallway. The bedroom door opened and he squeezed inside. He saw her sat on the edge of the bed and gave her a concerned look.

“Hey here is your coffee” he said, placing the mug down on the coaster on the bedside table. “Are you okay?”

Emma could tell by the look on his face that the evidence of her tears was still present even in the dim light of the bedroom.

“Mhmmmm” she responded, not trusting her voice to remain steady if he spoke.

Her son regarded her for a second before nodding, obviously deciding not to press her any further. Instead he took a step closer to her and pressed a kiss to her cheek offering her comfort.

“Mom’s gonna be okay” he said softly as he stepped away again. “You promised that you would save her and you did.”

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Snow POV**

 

On leaving the hospital Mary Margaret had spoken to Henry on the phone as Emma’s cell appeared to be switched off. She had slept all day after giving birth but she still felt very tired. However she was not so exhausted that she couldn’t visit her daughter and grandson on the way home from the hospital.

Henry had asked them to bring food as he doubted Emma would be up for cooking anything especially not in Regina’s kitchen. Mary Margaret had stayed in the truck with her new baby whilst her husband ran into Granny’s to pick up their take out order of food. She wanted to show the likes of Granny and Ruby her son but she wanted Emma and Henry to meet him first. Everyone else could coo over him tomorrow.

David pulled the truck into the driveway alongside Regina’s Mercedes and cut the engine. Mary Margaret glanced through the truck window at the imposing large house. It was weird to be visiting Emma here but she agreed with Henry’s reasons for taking Regina home. It would have been a tight squeeze trying to fit them all in the apartment and probably detrimental to Regina’s health. It was also a good sign that Emma was no longer thinking about running back to New York but was instead committed to staying now that Henry had his memories back of his adoptive mother and the rest of his family.

“Come on” David encouraged as he reached across and lifted their currently unnamed baby son and his car seat from the truck.

She climbed out of the passenger side of the pick-up truck and followed her beaming husband to the front door of 108 Mifflin Street with the bag of food in hand.  For all David’s fears before their son’s birth he was now very much the proud father and looked the part with their son cradled in his arms. Snow raised her hand to ring the bell but before she got the chance the front door open to reveal their grandson.

“I heard you pull in” he explained as he opened the door wider to let them in.

Snow and David entered to foyer and he took their coats and hung them up on the coat stand. The house was oddly silent apart from the faint murmur of a TV somewhere in the distance. Emma was nowhere to be seen and Snow wondered why she hadn’t come rushing to the door too.

“Ma is upstairs watching over mom” Henry explained as if he had read her mind. “She hasn’t woken up at all yet but she looks a lot better. I don’t know if ma will come down for food though...she doesn’t want to leave her alone.”

Her husband shot her a knowing look and she headed up the stairs to shoo her daughter down for food. She wasn’t entirely sure which one was Regina’s room so she tried the first one on the right as she reached at the top of the landing. It was first time lucky as the door creaked open to reveal Emma sat in a chair next to the bed.

Her daughter had the chair angled so she was running parallel to the bed and facing Regina’s head. She had Regina’ limp hand clasped in her own and t looked like she was dosing or resting her eyes. Mary Margaret took a couple of quite step so she was next to the chair. She had a better view of the unconscious brunette from there and could see that Henry was indeed correct. Regina looked far better and a far more natural colour than the last time Mary Margaret had seen her.

Emma stirred slightly so Mary Margaret reached out and nudged the blonde’s shoulder slightly. Her eyes shot open straight away and for the briefest of seconds she looked alert and ready for action before she realised it was her mother and calmed.

“Hey” Snow greeted softly.

Emma released Regina’s hand and stood up, enveloping Mary Margaret in a hug. It was really pleasing for Mary Margaret because aside for the occasional situation where it looked like they were all going to die or that they would be parted forever Emma hadn’t really ever hugged her. She had accepted that it would take her daughter some time to acclimatise to having parents having spent 28 years believing they had abandoned her because they didn’t love her. Yet even though she had accepted that the transition would be hard it still hurt when the blond pushed her away.  So this impromptu hug was a very welcome change.

“Hey” Emma finally greeted back as she released her mother and stepped back.

“Your new little brother is downstairs waiting to meet you” Mary Margaret informed her, “and we bought you your evening meal.”

Usually at the mention of food Emma would have already disappeared down the stairs but instead she stood stiffly in place gazing down at the unconscious figure on the bed.

“Oh...you should eat with Henry I’ll just microwave mine later...” Emma mumbled.

Her grandson had been right; Emma was reluctant to leave his other mom. Although it had originally terrified her in Neverland Mary Margaret was pleased that the two of them had not only been getting along but actually bonding. They worked well together when the need arose and as they were both Henry’s parents then this new friendship was positive for him and his happiness. Yet however wonderful Snow found this development she was still keen for Emma to take a break and eat so she tried a different tact.

“Actually I ate something at the hospital so I’m okay for now” she informed her daughter. “So how about you go eat and I’ll sit with Regina for a bit?”

It was true; she had indeed had a snack before they left the hospital to help regain some strength so she wasn’t desperately hungry yet. She could wait half an hour or so to give Emma a break. However she could tell by the look in Emma’s eyes that she was still reluctant to go downstairs. Mary Margaret wracked her brains trying to understand her daughter’s dilemma. If it wasn’t just about leaving Regina alone then what could it be? After a few blank moments an idea struck her.

“I’ll shout you if she starts to wake up” she offered.

This did the trick and Emma nodded before trudging slightly reluctantly out of the door. Mary Margaret reorganised the chair so she was sat at a right angle to the bed and sat down. When Regina had been under the sleeping curse she had felt comfortable talking and reading to her because from her own experiences Mary Margaret was sure the brunette would hear none of it. Now Regina was merely unconscious or asleep ten there was a good chance she may actually hear and remember some of what was being said. Yet it was a good chance to clear her chest of all those memories that plagued her without Regina trying to fireball her for trying to have such a deep conversation.

“Hey Regina” she began. “There is something I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time...ever since I woke up from the sleeping curse...which is ironic because you’ve just woken up from a sleeping curse...although that is entirely beside the point. You told me about what happened to Daniel before I ate that cursed apple and I was horrified. I’ve carried that feeling with me for a long time. I was only a child when those terrible events took place and I was so naive. You see the irony is that I didn’t tell your mother because I selfishly wanted her to stop you so you would still be my new mother. In fact I told her because I thought she was a good person and that even though I wanted you to be my mother because I adored you...well I wanted you to be happy and with the person you loved. I was trying to be unselfish and it backfired...terribly. The stupid thing is that I was so naive that at the time I truly believed you had chosen to be Queen over marrying Daniel...I thought you had chosen me. This isn’t an excuse. I know that I broke my promise and you suffered appallingly from it. I was old enough to know better. I just want you to know that I know why you were so angry with me and that I am so happy that we have finally started to move on from that. Somewhere deep inside I am still that little girl who looked up to like a hero when you rode to my rescue. It’s been nice to see that you are still that person too. Perhaps one day I’ll actually say this to you whilst you are awake...although that would probably be weird and awkward.” 

Mary Margaret decided it would probably be best to leave her monologue there in case Regina could actually hear her. She was starting to witter on and the brunette would not appreciate that. Instead she resorted to admiring the decor in Regina’s bedroom and before long she was wittering on uncontrollably about that instead. 

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Emma POV**

 

Emma headed down the stairs and into Regina’s kitchen were Charming was dishing out the food for them. Henry was currently sat at the breakfast bar holding the new arrival. It was quite weird that her son was holding his new born baby uncle but then what about their story and life was normal.

“Have you chosen a name yet?” she asked as she entered the room.

Her father stopped what he was doing and strode across the room. When he reached her he enveloped her in a bear hug.

“No” he admitted as she hugged him back. “We are having a party the day after tomorrow at Granny’s so we’ll announce it then.”

Emma pulled back and chuckled at the nervous look on her father’s face. She had noticed that they hadn’t been looking at baby name books or anything you’d normally expect from parents to be. With everything going on with Zelena she had supposed they were nervous of naming their child in case it all went wrong again. She just hoped they didn’t want to call the baby Leopold because after seeing how sad marrying him had made Regina she didn’t want the brunette to have the constant reminder. Emma was pretty sure that her father would be keen on the name so they were safe.

“Will you have thought of one by then?” she quipped.

As she spoke Henry handed over her baby brother for her to hold for the first time. It was a strange sensation especially as she had conflicting memories of a new born Henry. On one hand she remembered holding her son when he was this size for the first time but on the other she knew those memories were in fact false. This though...this was very real.

“Yeah we do have a couple of ideas” Charming assured her as she cooed at the baby. “Anyway it’s a tradition in the Enchanted Forest to have a naming ceremony.”

An image of Simba being held over the rock face by his parents in the Lion King flashed through her mind and she chuckled to herself. Luckily there were no high spaces to wave him from in Granny’s so she would be spared something quite so pompous.

Emma’s father and son picked up the three plates of Granny’s burger and chips and the baby’s car seat and Henry led them through to the dining room. Her little brother was barely awake and his eyes kept shutting like he wanted to dose off so she put him back into the car seat and placed him on the spare chair between her and David who sat at the head of the table. Henry sat across from his little uncle.

“So you guys have your memories back from the past year now right?” Emma asked when all four of them were settled in their seats. “Do you know why Zelena wanted you all back in Storybrooke?”

David had just sunk his teeth into his cheeseburger and paused mid bite. There was a moment of confusing silence before he sunk his teeth further into the burger and chewed on the mouthful he had just taken. All the while Emma and Henry both just sat and watched him, their food intact.

“Yes well about that” David mumbled after he swallowed the food. “It turns out Zelena wasn’t the person who cast the curse.”

“Then who did?” Henry asked instantly.

Her son sounded as confused as she felt. If Zelena didn’t cast it then who did? It couldn’t be Rumpel as Neal was already inside of him and Belle was still alive. Emma wasn’t aware of anything else the Dark One loved.

“Well your mother and I discovered what Zelena’s plans were by speaking to Gilinda the Good Witch and she told us that only the strongest purveyor of white magic could stop the Wicked Witch” David half explained.

As he spoke he looked pointedly at Emma and it was obvious he was talking about her and the whole Saviour thing.

“Me?” she asked even though she was sure it was a rhetorical question.

“Yes so Regina recreated the curse to bring us back to Storybrooke” her father continued. “Zelena tried to intercede. It was too late to stop it but she added a memory potion to prevent us remembering what had happened in the past year and how to stop her.”

It was almost ironic that Regina had been the one to cast the curse again after denying vehemently that she had. It had obviously been done to bring them all back to this world and stop the Witch though and was not for Regina’s own gain. That meant that the brunette had somehow paid the price for the curse yet again but Emma had no idea how. Henry was in Storybrooke and Regina didn’t love anyone else.

“What price did Regina pay?” she decided to directly ask her father. “Casting the curse has a price so who did she have to sacrifice?”

David sighed deeply and gazed at his newborn child. Emma was certain that whatever he was going to tell them she was not going to enjoy hearing. There was another silent pause in the conversation until David finally snapped his eyes from the baby and back to hers.

“I said Regina created the curse I didn’t say she cast it” he eventually replied.

“Then who did?” Emma asked. She didn’t understand why he was skirting around the answer but it was starting irritate her.  David took another deep sigh again and pushed his food around his plate.

“Your mother” he finally admitted.

Emma just stared at her father, too stunned to formulate a reply quite yet. If Mary Margaret cast the curse then surely David shouldn’t be here. What could she possibly love more than him? Had there been a different price this time around?

“Then what was her price?” she pressed once the initial shock wore off.

“Me” her father admitted. “She had to remove my heart and crush it into the potion.”

Emma stared at him blankly again. She knew that Regina had done the same to her father, Henry senior, to enact the original curse and Emma knew for a fact that he had died because his grave lay in Regina’s crypt.

“I don’t understand...” Henry spoke up before Emma had the chance. “If she crushed your heart then how are you still alive? I thought...”

“Snow and I share a heart” David cut in. “Apparently true love can do more than just break curses.”

Emma found herself completely speechless at his admission. If it had been anyone other than David telling her then she’d presume they were totally making it up but she could see from the genuine look on his face that that he did indeed now share a heart with her mother.

“Wow” Henry managed to reply. Apparently he was satisfied with the explanation and he began to start stuffing his face with chips like he hadn’t been fed for days even though Emma had seen him eat a Granny’s club sandwich just a few hours before.

Emma picked up her own burger and bit in to it. It was nearly cold after their discussion but she barely noticed. She was too busy trying to process this new information.  This all powerful true love her parents shared had always felt foreign and impossible to her. She had begun to believe in it but had not thought such a thing possible for herself. Unconsciously her hand went to her right wrist and she rubbed the itchy mark though the shirt she wore.  If Tinkerbelle’s pixie dust had been correct than this mark she now bore was evidence that it was indeed achievable. It was both terrifying and exhilarating.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	22. Chapter 22

 

**Chapter 22**

 

**Storybrooke – Regina POV**

The first thing Regina felt as she began to wake up was a dull thudding in her head and a general ache over her whole body. The room was so quiet she could hear the sound of her own breathing and that of someone else; someone whose warm hand was currently enveloping her own.

Regina slowly opened her eyes and blinked rapidly until her vision stopped swimming and the room came into focus. She was in her own bedroom and it was dark apart from the faint light of the bedside lamp. The person sat with her was none other than Emma who was curled up in the chair with her eyes closed although Regina didn’t think she was asleep. Her breathing wasn’t shallow enough, she looked like she was just resting or thinking with her eyes shut. The blond was wearing slightly garish cheap pink chequered pyjamas.

The brunette had no idea how long she had been out for or how an earth the sleeping curse had been lifted. She did faintly remember hearing voices in her unconscious state but she wasn’t sure how much of what she had heard had been real or how much of hit she had dreamt.

Her mouth was so dry she didn’t trust in her ability to speak quite yet especially as she felt pretty rotten. It was the same heavy feeling you get when ill with the flu. So instead of trying to speak to her blond companion she resorted to squeezing her hand and tugging slightly to get her attention.

Emma reaction was instant. Her eyes shot open and she practically leapt from her sitting position on in the chair and onto the side of the bed.

“Regina!” the blond exclaimed as she leant over her, a broad smile playing across her features.

Regina lifted the hand that Emma wasn’t holding and gestured it towards her own lips in a cup like shape. The blond could sometimes be a little dense but this time she understood immediately and grabbed a bottle of water that was sat by the lamp on the bedside table. Emma let go of her hand and scooped her arm under Regina’s back and helping her into a sitting position.

Regina managed to sit up but the room felt like it was spinning. Emma seemed to be aware of this and kept the arm she had used to scoop the brunette up around her back. It was quite an intimate position to be in as they were pressed quite close to each other. As Emma pressed the opening of the bottle against her mouth Regina could feel the blonde’s warm breath caressing her cheek.

She felt slightly unstable with just Emma holding her upright to Regina looped her right arm around the blonde’s shoulders to give her some purchase. Emma was patient with her as she slowly sipped from the bottle. Gradually her mouth and throat became more moist and comfortable but there was a lingering herbal taste that no amount of water seemed to be removing.

Once she had drank as much as she could take for now she pulled her mouth away from the bottle. Emma stretched across and placed the water back on the bedside table again without letting go of Regina. She picked up a small potion bottle with a green tinted liquid inside and held it in front of Regina’s face.

“I need you to take this” the blond instructed. Emma pulled the cork out with her teeth and spat it out onto the floor. Usually Regina would complain at such an action but the blond was being so gentle with her that she let it go.

“What it is?” Regina asked, the voice exiting her mouth was unrecognisably hoarse.

She guessed it was some kind of medical potion but she wasn’t very familiar with that side of magic. Her magical education had never stretched that far as it wasn’t required for curse casting. 

“A potion courtesy of Rumpelstiltskin” Emma explained. “It’s called Feverfew or something like that.”

“Urgh” Regina groaned instantly. That was a potion she had heard of and it was mainly made up of herbs with magic infused through it. “No wonder my mouth tastes so bad.”

Emma smiled sympathetically but brought the potion bottle to Regina’s lips regardless. The brunette grasped the bottle around Emma’s own hand and tipped it back sharply, downing the potion in one. She had planned to put a brave face on but the taste was so foul she instantly stuck her tongue out and gagged. The thumb on Emma hand which was splayed out on the brunette’s back began to move in a comforting circular motion.

The blond placed the bottle down on the table and reached for the water again. Regina took a couple of sips to dilute the taste. Once she had finished drinking Emma put the water bottle down again before reaching out with her freed right hand to wipe away some a droplet of water that had splashed onto Regina’s chin.

“Thanks” Regina mumbled quietly.

Emma’s eyes stayed locked onto hers and there was a tenderness there that Regina hadn’t seen since their conversation on Mayor’s office when Emma had first returned from New York. There had been an intimacy about it then because they were alone but they had been stood apart. This time they were sat on Regina’s bed nearly nose to nose with an arm wrapped around each other.

She had always taken pleasure out of being this close to the blond. Once upon a time it had been raw excitement from the way this infuriating blond took her on at her own game. There had been resentment and anger between them but also a fair amount of sexual tension. Now the tension was less aggressive and there was warmth spreading between them. Regina could no longer deny the fact she cared deeply about the blond.

The eye contact was broken when Emma slid in even closer and wrapped her other arm around Regina’s back so that they were hugging. Emma’s face buried into her neck and Regina allowed herself the luxury of lacing her fingers in the blond mass of hair. She wondered what an earth had happened in the time she had been dead to the world to make Emma so clingy.

“What happened?” she asked softly. “Is everyone okay?”

“Zelena cast her curse and I had to follow her into the past” Emma explained. “She’s d....no longer a threat now but I only just got back on time to return your heart to you. You were pretty ill Regina that’s why you feel so weak.”

Regina could hear the guilt lacing the blonde’s voice as she spoke. As the Saviour Emma carried the weight of the world around on her shoulders and always felt that she had to save everyone she crossed paths with. Regina was just grateful that Emma had been successful she didn’t really care if it had been a closely run thing. She was a little sad to hear that Zelena, her half sister, was now dead though. She may have been a twisted Witch but deep down Regina had hoped that they could somehow help Zelena and give her the chance to redeem herself just like Regina had. It would have been nice to have a blood relative still breathing but in Henry, Emma and the Charming’s she had all the family she needed.

Suddenly Regina had a recollection of Snow’s voice and presence whilst she had been unconscious. She was pretty sure Snow had talked at her fairly recently because the memory was still relatively fresh.

“Was your mother here before?” she asked.

Emma pulled back so they were in their original position rather than hugging. It still meant that Emma’s inquisitive eyes were only inches away and gazing into Regina’s own.

“Yes did you wake up?” the blond asked, her brow furrowing.

“No no I just remember her voice” Regina admitted. “She was getting all sentimental on me. She’s had her baby?”

Emma rolled her eyes and chuckled. It was probably no surprise to the blond that Snow would be unable to just sit silently and watch her. Regina was lucky Snow didn’t read to her from the story book or tell her all the gory details of the birth.

“Yeah a baby boy” Emma finally replied but her amusement was still present in her voice. “He hasn’t got a name yet but they are claiming that is because of some ridiculous naming ceremony from the Enchanted Forest.”  

There was indeed a ridiculous naming ceremony and Regina wasn’t in the least bit surprised that the Charming’s would want to stick to it. From her returned memories of the year in the Enchanted Forest Regina distinctly remembered how desperate they were to announce their pregnancy to the people from the palace balcony. Luckily Red’s common sense reason about the Wicked Witch and a need for secrecy had prevented them when Regina’s distain failed.

Regina’s mind leapt from one topic to another as she realised the significance of the fact she had her memories back. Either someone had lifted both curses separately or more likely both curses lifted together. That meant that she had shared true love’s kiss with someone. One thing was for sure and that was it had not been Robin Hood. There had been no curse lifting when he had kissed her only a whole lot of trouble.

“The sleeping curse?”  she asked the blond.

“Apparently Henry kissed you, lifting the curse and returning everyone’s memories” Emma informed her. “If you want details you’ll have to ask him or my mother about it because I had my hands full in the Enchanted Forest at that point.”

Regina felt much lighter knowing that she had shared true love’s kiss with her son. It felt like a vindication of all those times she had said she loved him and people had looked at her with doubt. She may not know how to love very well but that didn’t mean she didn’t love at all. She just never knew how to handle those feelings.  As lovely as Emma was being right now it still gave Regina satisfaction that now they were on equal footing. When Emma had shared true love’s kiss with Henry it had firmly pushed Regina into the role of second parent.

“Where is Henry?” she asked. “Is he with your parents?”

Regina was desperate to see him now that she was aware that her son remembered her. He remembered her and he loved her. The brunette couldn’t help but smile at the thought and it drew a matching smile from Emma who quietly watched her emotions play out.

“He’s asleep in his room” Emma replied, gesturing with her head towards the door. “It’s nearly eleven and he hasn’t slept much whilst you were ill and I was away.”

It was a little disappointing that she couldn’t see him now but Regina had no intention of waking him. With a bit of extra sleep she would hopefully look and feel a bit better in the morning which would worry him less than if he saw her now. She was still clinging onto Emma for dear life and she doubted she could get up on her own. That was an issue as she really needed to go to the bathroom. The half a bottle of water she had just drunk had gone straight through her.

It was embarrassing to ask even though they had been getting closer. Regina didn’t like relying on anyone for anything so when the words came out they sounded slightly choked.

“I need the toilet” Regina admitted, “Can you help me get to the bathroom?”

There was a faint flicker of surprise across Emma’s featured but they were quickly replaced by a blank expression. They were similar enough for Emma to know how awkward this was for her.

“Whatever you need” the blond replied simply.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Emma POV**

 

Regina waking up had been a great relief to Emma as she was starting to fear that the brunette had been out cold for too long. Regina was still terribly weak though and Emma was now waiting outside the door of the brunette’s on suite bathroom waiting to be called in to help support the older woman back to bed. It had been several minutes and the blond was starting to get anxious. The door was only closed over and not locked so Emma could enter without permission if she really wanted to but she was wary of barging in and invading the brunette’s privacy; especially when they were getting on so well.

“Emma” the brunette finally called. Regina voice was quite weak so Emma barely heard her.

The blond opened the door and glanced into the bathroom. Like the rest of the house it was luxurious and tastefully decorated with a large freestanding bathtub. Regina was stood by the right wall, hanging onto the wash basin like it was the only thing that was holding her up.

“You okay?” Emma asked as she entered the room and stepped towards the brunette.

Emma could see Regina’s face in the large mirror above the basin and she was alarmed to see how pale the brunette looked again. Regina was gazing down into the wash basin at either the running water from the cold tap or the toothbrush she had wedged between her hand and the ceramic basin.

“Trying to clean my teeth but I’m finding it hard to hold myself up and brush at the same time” Regina explained.

“Here” Emma mumbled as she stepped in even closer to the brunette so the blonde’s front was pressed against Regina’s back. She wrapped her arms around the brunette so they encircled her waist.

Emma wasn’t surprised that Regina let her hold up like this because after drinking that herbal potion she was clearly desperate to remove the taste with minty toothpaste. Emma was surprised though when the brunette’s first reaction was to lean back into the contact, resting her head on Emma’s shoulder and closing her eyes.

Emma had to fight the urge to bury her face in Regina’s hair and neck. After several very long seconds the brunette steadied herself and pressed forward so she was no longer slumped back on Emma and slightly leant forward over the sink. This position was just as bad for the blond as now the brunette’s rear was pressed into her crotch.

Emma tried to focus on something other than the feeling of the brunette against her as it was highly inappropriate given the situation. So instead she gazed at a single spot on the tiled wall just to the right of the mirror whilst Regina cleaned her teeth. Once she’d finished brushing her teeth Regina ran the brush under the cold tap before replacing it in the brush holder and then she used the wash cloth to wipe away and of the white foam that had splashed down her chin. Emma was sure that the brunette was usually far more elegant at these things when not feeling so weak and sickly.

“Finished” Regina declared once the wash cloth was dropped haphazardly into the basin and the tap turned off.

Emma stepped back slightly to allow the brunette to turn in her arms. However Regina turned far too quickly and started stumbling out of the blonde’s grip. Emma quickly reacted and stepped after her.

“Careful there!” Emma exclaimed as she managed to scoop the brunette up into her arms before she fell. “Let’s get you back to bed hey.”

The last time Emma had carried the brunette like this it was moving her from the apartment to Mifflin Street and Regina had been unconscious so she couldn’t protest. This time Regina showed a flash of disapproval but it was gone in an instant and the brunette wrapped her arms around Emma neck. Emma knew Regina must feel rotten if she was just going to submit to Emma carrying her around like a child.

As the blond managed to squeeze them through the door sideways on without bashing either of them into the frame Regina mumbled something Emma struggled to hear.

“You went back to the past...was I the Queen?”

It was a strange and serious topic for Regina to bring up when exhausted but Emma suspected it had been playing on her mind whilst in the bathroom. So as she placed the brunette on the bed she tried to answer her.

“Yeah just not...” she began to explain but Regina cut her off.

 “I never wanted you to see me like that” Regina said sadly as Emma pulled the covers back over her and tucked her in. “You were the one person who saw only saw me as Regina and not the Evil Queen.”

Emma sat at the edge of the bed gazing down at the brunette with her hand wresting on the edge of the covers below Regina’s chin. The brunette’s voice was getting quieter and quieter so Emma knew she was close to sleep. There was no time to explain that she had in fact seen her before that period of time.  

“You ARE Regina” the blond said affectionately, allowing herself the luxury or running her fingers across the brunette’s jaw.

The brunette gazed back up at her and smiled despite how dazed she looked. Regina’s hand crept up and for a brief second Emma thought she was about to be pushed away. Instead the brunette’s hand lay upon Emma’s and held it in place upon Regina’s cheek. The tenderness of the moment was lost on Emma though when she realised the hand placed on top of her own was quaking quite badly.

“You’re shaking” the blond stated.

“I’m cold” the brunette whispered. Emma manoeuvred her hand out from under Regina’s and pressed it against the brunette’s forehead. Her head was hot and clammy but Regina’s body was reacting in quite the opposite way.

Regina was still a long long way from full health and obviously any activity was going to make her tired and weak. The next time the brunette woke Emma was determined to get some food into her.

“It’s okay I think you’ve just over done it a bit” Emma tried to comfort her. “You need to sleep Regina.”

The blond stood up to turn the bedside lamp off but a quaking hand grasped at hers and pulled lightly causing Emma to abandon her task and turn back towards the brunette.

“Don’t leave me” Regina begged.

The blond was taken aback by the vulnerability in Regina’s voice. It reminded Emma very much of the younger version of the brunette she had met in the Enchanted forest. It was easy to forget that although a lot had happened for Emma in the past couple of days the last thing Regina remembered before waking up was being betrayed by someone she thought may have been her true love. Now she had awoken feeling weak and terrible with memories of the year she had previously had no memories of. It was no wonder the brunette wanted someone to watch over her.

“I will be right here with you” Emma promised. She managed to reach behind her and turn the lamp off without releasing the brunette’s hand.

It was now pitch black in the room so she carefully knelt onto the edge of the bed and climbed over the brunette so she was now behind her. Emma climbed under the covers and pressed against the brunette’s back so she was spooning her.

She wasn’t sure what to do with her hands. She wanted to wrap them around the brunette and hold her as close as possible to keep her warm but part of her dreaded letting herself get too carried away. The decision was made for her though when Regina grasped her hand and pulled it over her waist so their hands were pressed together rover the brunette’s flat and surprisingly toned silk pyjama clad stomach.

As Emma nuzzled her head into the back of Regina’s shoulder she thought about how she could happily sleep like this every night. Their bodies seemed to meld around each other perfectly like it was meant to be. The blond only hoped that Regina didn’t wake up in the morning and incinerate her for climbing into bed with her because that would be a complete buzz kill.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

 

**Storybrooke – Regina POV**

The next time Regina awoke she felt far less groggy and awful than the first time. She also felt cocooned between not one but two warm bodies. She opened her eyes, blinking several times before her eyes became accustomed to the bright sunlight pouring through her bedroom window. Once everything came into focus she looked down to see the familiar short brown hair of her son nestled into her front.

Regina had a vague recollection of Emma climbing into bed with her and holding her from behind but she couldn’t remember Henry’s arrival. He must have crept in whilst she was sleeping. His other mother was still pressed into the back of Regina with a protective arm resting over both her and their son. It felt surprisingly comfortable to be nestled between the two of them like that but it certainly gave her mixed emotions. It felt physically right to be lay with the blond in such an intimate manner and Regina could imagine herself waking up every morning with Emma wrapped around her. That was a confusing notion given their history and the fact that Emma had that pining simpering Pirate pursuing her. Regina had thought her destiny laid with another only a short time ago. Yet here she was safe and warm in Emma’s arms with the woman’s lips so close to her shoulder that she could feel Emma’s warm breath against exposed skin.

The warmth that spread through Regina at the intimacy was not really appropriate with their son lying in the bed with them and Regina tried to shift just enough away from Emma that she could no longer feel every exhale. Unfortunately even that slight bit of movement broke Henry from his sleep.

“Mom?” he mumbled as he opened his eyes.

“Hey” Regina greeted, smiling down at her son.

It was one thing being told he remembered her but it was quite another actually seeing and hearing it for herself. It made her heart feel so much lighter than it had done in a long time; since before Pan’s recasting of the curse. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his forehead.

“I came to see if Emma wanted to swap and get some sleep and you were shivering” Henry explained without prompting. Regina was surprised that he was taking the fact Emma was in the bed trying to keep her warm in his stride like it wasn’t remotely unusual. Henry was acting as though it was completely natural for the two of them.  Perhaps as usual he was three steps ahead of them because it had felt natural to Regina too on waking.

“I feel a lot better now” she assured her son, “but I think I will be spending most of the next couple of days in bed.”

She wasn’t just saying it to appease him; she did feel a hell of a lot better but was still physically weak and exhausted. Whatever strain Zelena’s magic had put on her heart and therefore her body was going to take a while to wear off.

“Mmmm yup” Emma mumbled in agreement from behind her. “I’ll get up in a minute and make you some breakfast.”

Regina hadn’t registered the blond waking but it was obviously very recently because she sounded sleepy still. Emma drew her arm back from Regina and Henry and rolled onto her back removing the warmth her body had been providing against the brunette’s back and creating a small amount of space between them. Regina was shocked to find that she instantly missed the contact even though it was something she was unused to.

“Oh my god Regina what is this mattress made of?!” Emma exclaimed as she lay on her back sprawled out across one half of the bed.

Regina shifted onto her back too so she and the blond were shoulder to shoulder with Henry still cuddled into her chest from the left.

“Memory foam, why?” she replied.   

“It’s like lying on a cloud” Emma gushed.

Regina glanced at the blond and instantly chuckled at the blissful look on her face as she sunk further into the mattress and matching memory foam pillows. She could feel Henry giggling too as he cuddled into her side.

“It should be comfortable” Regina admitted. “It cost more than the bed frame.”

The Mayoral wage was a good one and it had meant that Regina could afford some of the finer things in life especially as she had awoken that first morning in Storybrooke with thousands of pounds worth of savings stashed away in a bank account. The mattress had been an expensive online purchase but she had certainly never regretted it. She certainly never woke up with any unexpected aches or pains.

“How do you get up in the mornings?” Emma groaned as she tried to sit up before giving up and slumping back down again. That of course was the only downside to the mattress. It did mean you had the urge to toss your alarm clock every morning for daring to wake you.

“With great difficulty” Regina admitted. “Luckily this morning I know that after breakfast I’ll be returning to it.”

It was Emma’s turn to laugh this time and Regina could swear she felt the blond run her finger against the knuckle of her hand as they lay next to each other. It was hard to tell wither the action had been on purpose or accidental.

“On that note I’m gonna go make some toast and then head over to granddad’s shop for the morning if that’s okay?” Henry suddenly chirped up again. He sat up and stretched as Regina’s sleepy brain processed his words.

“Shop...?”  Since when did David have a shop? The idiot couldn’t even count surely? He was only good for running nobly albeit blindly into danger toting his sword. Then it dawned on her that Henry was referring to the antiques shop owned by his other biological granddad.

 “Rumpelstiltskin?” Regina asked for clarification that she’d caught up with the conversation. She couldn’t recall having ever heard Henry refer to Rumperstiltskin as granddad before. What the hell had she missed while her heart had been adventuring around the past with her wicked half sister?

“Yeah he said I could come over any time” Henry replied.

Her son looked at her like he was expecting a hundred and one questions and in truth she did have questions to ask but she was prepared to ask them of Emma and give her son some room. She had learnt from previous mistakes that smothering him did not make him love her only resent her.

“Okay kid” Emma replied when Regina remained silent. The brunette managed to show approval by nodding.

Henry smiled broadly and scooted down from his sitting position onto his hands and knees, placing a firm kiss on the side of Regina’s cheek. It was more affection that she’d received of him for years.

“Love you mom” he declared before laying his body across hers so he could reach Emma and do the same. “Love you ma.”

After assaulting the side of Emma’s face too he crawled back over Regina and jumped off the bed, disappearing of into his own room to get changed out of his pyjamas. Once the door to her bedroom swung shut again Regina turned on her side to face Emma. She was about to ask for answers but Emma seemed to know what was coming and turned to face her, starting the conversation first.

“From what I can gather Rumpel was at the apartment playing doctor most of the time I was gone and you were dying” the blond explained. “They seem to have bonded.”

They were lying close to each other again although they were not touching and Regina was entranced by the bright green/blue eyes that gazed at her. Even when they had been arguing she had always found the blonde’s eyes fascinating and beautiful. No matter what Emma felt and no matter what mask she tried to put up everything you needed to know was transmitted by her eyes. Right now those eyes were saying ‘I think I’m doing the right thing encouraging it please say you do too’. Regina did think it was a positive thing as Henry needed male influences in his life although she was of course weary of Rumpel reverting to his old self. Regina of all people had to give him a chance though especially as she expected one off everyone else.

“I suppose it’s a good thing for both of them considering...” Regina trailed off before saying Henry’s birth fathers name. His loss was a bond Henry and Rumpel shared as did Emma.

“Neal” Emma finished off the thought with a little sorrow in her voice. “I know and that’s why I think it’s a good thing too.”

There was a brief silence between the two of them as Regina tried to gage what Emma was thinking and feeling about the loss of her first love. However she quickly became distracted not only by the blonde’s proximity but also to Emma’s gaze which seemed to be lingering down at her lips. Emma seemed to close in towards her by the smallest of margins and Regina was certain she was about to be kissed. However the blond suddenly pulled right back and sat up leaving Regina breathless and lost.  

“I’ll go make us some breakfast” Emma mumbled awkwardly before getting up completely from the bed.

Regina watched the blonde’s pink and white clad back walk away from her and exited the bedroom. The second Emma was out of the room Regina rolled onto her back again and released a deep sigh. What the hell was wrong with her this morning? She had woke up wishing she could have Emma wrapped around her every morning and now she was disappointed the blond hadn’t kissed her. That was not a normal feeling for Regina Mills, former Evil Queen and Mayor of Storybrooke to be experiencing especially when it came to the Saviour and daughter of Snow White. Only try as she may she could not convince herself that the blond was either of those things to her. To Regina she had just become Emma Swan, birth mother of the most precious thing in the world to them both. Was it inevitable that they would one day end up playing happy families?

Regina wondered what Tinkerbelle and her stupid malfunctioning pixie dust would make of that.    

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Henry POV**

 

“Hey granddad!” Henry greeted as he bounded into the antiques shop.

Mr Gold was stood a couple of runs up an old wooden step ladder organising items on one of the higher shelves. It was a strange assortment of objects from figurines to everyday items including a decorative spoon which Henry’s granddad currently held in his hand and inspected.

“Henry!” the older man greeted him in return. “How is Regina?”

Mr Gold climbed down the ladder and placed the spoon on top of a large open journal type book which sat on top of one of the glass cabinets. Henry took a few more steps into the shop so he was stood on the other side of the cabinet and glanced down at the journal. It was a hand written catalogue of the items in the shop.

“She’s awake although she is still feeling pretty rough” he told his granddad. “Emma is making her breakfast.”

Gold lent forward onto the cabinet so he was leaning his chin on one of his elbows whilst the other hand fiddled absentmindedly with the spoon. It made him a similar height to Henry and the boy could see the concern in his granddad’s eyes more clearly now they were face to face.

“That’s good” the older man said encouragingly. “It will take her a while to fully recover but at least she’s rejoined the land of the living.”

Henry smiled at his granddad but decided not to press him on the subject of Regina and possible being her father quite yet. He genuinely wanted to spend time with the man and wasn’t just there to pry. He was confident it would fit into the conversation at some point later in the morning.

Whilst Henry was busy thinking his granddad scribbled some details about the spoon in the catalogue before heading back up the ladder to place the spoon on the shelf again. Henry was surprised to find his granddad alone considering how long his girlfriend and he had been forced to be apart.

“Where is Belle today?” Henry asked whilst Mr Gold retrieved another item of the shelf. This time it was a small figurine of a knight in black armour holding a long and heavy looking sword in front of his body.

“She’s at the town hall helping Miss Lucas and the Pirate feed and re-house all the refugees who were once flying around this town with fur and wings” Gold replied as he stepped down from the ladder again.

Henry should have guessed that Belle would be off doing a good deed. It was convenient she was out anyway because she was another topic Henry wanted to broach with his granddad. He was eager to get operation get Granddad hitched underway. After waking up with both his mothers in the same bed this morning he was confident he could run a parent trap style operation to get the two of them together at the same time too. Otherwise he was going to end up with Hook as a dad or something and as fun as the pirate could be that did not appeal to Henry in the least. Living with his two moms’ at the mansion did appeal though. In fact it made perfect sense.

“So what can I do to help?” Henry asked, returning his attention to the family member at hand. Mr Gold turned his thoughtful stare from ugly figurine to Henry.

 “Well the new curse brought across many new magical objects” the older man stated. “How about you help me finish cataloguing the items on this shelf and then we will shut up shop and go get some fresh air?”

That sounded like a fine plan to Henry. He could spend some time in the shop learning a bit about magic hopefully and then he could try broaching some of the topics he wanted to talk about afterwards.

“Yeah I’d like that” Henry agreed, picking up the figurine that his granddad had just placed down, “but how is this little statue a magical object?”

Mr Gold stopped his scribbling in the large journal and glanced up at Henry and the object he had in his hand. The older man’s brow creased before he reached out and took the figurine of the boy and placed it back down on the cabinet. Like earlier Gold lent down on his elbows so he was again in Henry and the Knight’s eye line.

“Well some inanimate objects can hold residual magic for various reasons such as being present when strong magic was cast” Gold explained. “That spoon I had in my hand for example holds residual dark magic from a curse cast in its presence making it quite dangerous.”

“So the statue holds dark magic?” Henry asked as he too lend on his elbows across from his granddad to gaze at the intricately detailed figurine.

Mr Gold grimaced slightly and for a second Henry thought the older man was going to change the subject. However after a short pause Mr Gold did indeed answer him and answer him truthfully. It was a side to this granddad that he was learning to appreciate. He wasn’t just treated like a child.

“Not exactly” Mr Gold admitted. “This figurine....well he was once a real man who was irreversibly cursed by Maleficent I think. It feels like her brand of magic but it’s not an exact science.”

Henry took a closer look at the figure whilst the information sunk in. No wonder it seemed so intricate, it was basically a shrunken person. The statue no longer seemed quite so ugly...just tragic and oddly fascinating.

“That’s kind of cool...but horrible obviously” Henry admitted.

When he was younger, after the first curse had been broken he would have been terrified and disgusted by the information because at that time he thought all magic should be destroyed. He was convinced it brought nothing but harm because that was the only side of magic he had been witness to. Since then he had seen magic used for good by both his mom’s and it had shifted his views. Magic wasn’t terrible...people could be terrible in the way they used it.

“That’s the problem with dark magic Henry” his granddad mused. “It allows you to do terrible things yet feel a twisted sense of achievement. It’s why it’s so terribly addictive.” 

The expression in Mr Gold’s eyes was one of deep sadness. Henry knew that his granddad was referring to himself and his own mistakes; mistakes that had let to the abandonment of his son, Henry’s own father. It only intrigued Henry to get to know his granddad further. 

“So how do I catalogue this poor guy then?” he asked; picking up the pen and turning the journal to face him.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Emma POV**

 

Emma had cooked a breakfast of scrambled egg and toast before heading up to Regina’s bedroom to help the brunette down the stairs. Regina had managed to use the bathroom and clean her teeth on her own this morning but she was still shaky on her feet. Emma had needed to half carry her down the stairs by putting Regina’s arm around her shoulder and supporting most of the weight.

Once the brunette was securely sat down at the breakfast bar Emma served her breakfast and a weak coffee. Regina usually drank Americano’s but Emma thought that something that may strong may make the brunette physically sick right now. At first Regina had prodded the eggs with the spoon, clearly sussing out if they were safe to eat. When the food met with her seal of approval she finally tucked in just as Emma was taking the seat across from her with her own plate of food.   

“It’s good” Regina declared between mouthfuls, “thank you for making it for me.”

Emma couldn’t decide whether to be offended that the brunette had expected it to be awful or happy that Regina had actually thanked her for it. In the end she settled for neutrality.

“I can cook some things” she stated. “Since my year in New York amazingly I can now cook several dished that I wouldn’t previously dare try.”

Obviously in the few seconds Regina had to create Emma a new life she found it important to impart some of her culinary skills because Emma could now make a wicked lasagne amongst other things. Her comment caused Regina to look up from her food and smirk at Emma, knowing full well what the blond was implying.

“Henry needed a healthy diet” the brunette simply replied before tucking in to her food again.

Emma hadn’t even taken a mouthful yet and Regina was half way through her breakfast. Clearly she was hungry after all her body had gone through. Emma couldn’t recall having ever seen the brunette shovel her food like she was doing now. Usually she slowly and elegantly picked at it.

“Speaking of Henry I wonder what he and Rumpel actually talk about?” Regina mused.

“I have no idea” Emma admitted, “but I’m eager to give him a chance after everything he did to fight Pan and then care for you.”

Regina nodded in between mouthfuls of food but remained quiet and thoughtful. Neither of them could deny that Neal’s father had risked his life to save Henry and then given his life to save them all. If that didn’t warrant a chance at redemption then Emma didn’t know what did. It was a similar scenario to Regina staying down in the mines to try and delay the trigger so everyone else could escape. Emma had started to believe that the brunette was a lost cause after everything that happened with Cora but as she had stood face to face with Regina in the mines and realised she was sacrificing herself her opinion shifted significantly.

“And if he’s not with us then with Rumpelstiltskin is the next safest place for him to be when the next crisis rolls on it” Regina added, with some mirth in her voice despite the topic.

Emma raised her eyebrows at the use of the term ‘when’ rather than ‘if’. It was guaranteed apparently that sooner or later someone would come along and cause mayhem. It had been the main reason why the blond had wanted to escape back to New York if they failed to find a way to return Henry’s memories. In Storybrooke there would always be danger and as the Saviour she would always be expected to fix it. The funny thing was that up until the moment she realised Regina was still alive when Zelena was waving her heart around like an overconfident fool Emma had still intended on leaving. From that point onwards the thought hadn’t crossed her mind and now it felt like the last thing she wanted to do.

Emma tried to refocus back onto the conversation because Regina was staring at her like she was acting strangely. They were talking about Rumpel and his suitability to be around Henry. Emma had never had much reason to actually fear him as Mr Gold in Storybrooke but she had always she presumed he would be unnerving in full Dark One mode.  However she had met him in the Enchanted Forest of the past and found him tricky to deal with but not very threatening. Perhaps she had been lucky.

“He wasn’t as terrifying as I expected him to be when I met him in the past” Emma started talking again. “In fact he was quite helpful. He gave the people we had interacted with memory potions so it wouldn’t affect the timeline.”

Regina looked surprised by the new information about Emma’s adventures. Apart from a few words about the topic last night when Regina was pretty dazed the brunette knew nothing of who Emma had seen and what Emma had done there.

“I never found him terrifying just unhinged” Regina chuckled darkly. “I should imagine I came across as far more terrifying then he did?”

Emma leant back on the breakfast bar stool and regarded the brunette. Last night the idea of Emma having seen her as the Evil Queen seemed to upset and even scare Regina. This morning she was making a joke about it. The brunette tried to maintain a blank expression as they gazed at each other but although her face remained passive her eyes were wide and nervous. It was like Regina was waiting for something inside Emma to snap and start telling her how terrible a person she had been.

“Not really” Emma replied smoothly, “but then I have only known you here as Mayor Mills or as Regina the newlywed Queen.”

The brunette took a deep gulp of air as if she had been holding her breath whilst waiting for Emma’s response. Relief washed over the brunette’s face and she placed her knife and fork down on the plate even though she hadn’t finished eating yet.

“I wasn’t the Evil Queen?” the brunette checked. Emma slid her hand across the breakfast bar and placed her hand on top of Regina’s.

“No” Emma assured her. “No when we spoke you were lost and lonely...and very sad about the way your life was being dictated for you. I’m sorry my family caused you so much pain Regina.”

So many emotions played out across the brunette’s face in a very short space of time and Emma couldn’t keep up to interpret all of them. There was a hell of a lot of sadness there but then all things considered that was to be expected.

“You have nothing to be sorry for” Regina countered, turning her hand underneath Emma’s and grasping the blonde’s hand. Regina’s grip was almost painful but the sincerity in her eyes prevented Emma protesting. “It all happened long before you were even born.”

Their relationship was defiantly changing for the better if Regina was no longer labelling Emma under ‘spawn of Snow White and Charming’. In fact if there wasn’t a breakfast bar in-between them Emma may have given in to the temptation to hug the brunette. Luckily after a couple of more seconds Regina’s grip of her hand released and the brunette reached for her coffee. Whatever moment they were sharing had passed. Or so Emma presumed until the brunette spoke up again.

“After breakfast can we sit somewhere more comfortable and then you can tell me all about what happened in the Enchanted Forest?” Regina asked. “I’d like to know how we met even if I can’t remember it.”

“Sure” Emma agreed. Now that the events had passed there was no harm in telling Regina nearly everything. Although Emma was definitely leaving out the part about a young Regina kissing her and her new magical body art.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

 

**Storybrooke – Emma POV**

 

Somehow Emma had ended up back upstairs in Regina’s bed with the brunette. Or to be precise Regina was in the bed and Emma was lying on top of the bed telling the brunette the tale of her adventure into the past. She had taken the opportunity to have a quick shower after breakfast and was now dressed for the day in a blue long sleeved shirt and jeans even though she didn’t  have any intention of leaving the house today.

Emma was lying flat on her back as she told the tale with Regina lying on her side facing the blond cuddling her pillow. The brunette looked quite adorable lay like that and listening diligently to Emma’s story. They had now reached the point in the adventure where the conversation may get awkward.

“So I’m sat with Hook eating the blandest food I’ve ever tasted ad then who should walk in but Robin Hood. So I went and asked him about his tattoo...” Emma only got half way through her sentence before the brunette pushed up onto her elbows so she was looking down at Emma.

“You did what?!” Regina exclaimed.

That was the reaction Emma was expecting. Firstly, she was prying into Regina’s personal life which the brunette would not appreciate. Secondly, she had risked changing future events in some way by interacting with Robin for no good reason. It was amazing she had clattered through the past and managed to change nothing although without Rumpelstiltskin stepping in with his memory potion she would have probably made an utter mess of the world as she knew it.

“Well after you telling me about the fairy dust showing you a man with a lion tattoo I was curious” she replied honestly. There wasn’t any point making weak excuses, honesty was the best policy when it came to Regina.

The brunette quirked an eyebrow before settling back down on her side against the mattress. Emma turned her head to the left so she could gage Regina’s reaction but the brunette just looked neither happy nor angry just deep in thought.

“What did he say?” Regina finally asked. Obviously she had been fighting an inner battle to decide whether she wanted to know or not. Emma was glad she would have the chance to explain the tattoo considering one now graced her arm too.

“It’s the mark of an elite Royal Guard that Leopold had disbanded” she explained, “apparently there is some kind of ancient magic that chooses this guard and marks them.”

That was the penguin guide to the story Robin had told her but she could no longer remember most of the details now and most of it wasn’t important anyway.

“I heard talk of such a guard as a child” the brunette mused. There was a pause as the relevance of Emma’s words hit home before Regina spoke up again. “That means the tattoo is not unique to Robin?”

“No it’s rare but not unique” Emma agreed. “There is more though. The night I was at the Inn...well it was the same night Tinkerbelle used the fairy dust.”

Regina lifted herself up onto her elbows again and Emma was starting to get concerned that the brunette would wear herself out. She turned to face Regina and reached out to press her back down to the bed again. The brunette allowed herself to be guided back down without any protest.

“You saw the dust?” the shocked brunette quizzed. “So my second chance was meant to be Robin?”

Emma noted that this information seemed to disappoint Regina. The blond hoped it was because Regina didn’t want it to be Robin rather than the brunette being upset that her chance with him seemed to be gone. It was probably a selfish thought but Emma didn’t think she could cope with watching Regina and Robin fawn over each other. It was bad enough seeing them outside Granny’s on the night were all this kicked off but if she had to put up with it every day then her and Henry would be back in New York within the week.

“I saw the dust lead quite specifically to Robin’s tattoo rather than just the man in general” Emma tried to explain her observation from the night in question.

She remembered very clearly that the green glow had wrapped around the wrist with the tattoo and failed to spread anywhere else on the outlaw’s body. The tattoo seemed to be the significant thing not the man himself.

“I don’t understand what that means” Regina muttered irritably. The brunette’s chocolate eyes bore into Emma’s awaiting answers that the blond wasn’t sure she could give. There was a temptation to just unbutton her sleeve, roll it up and declare that it was because ‘she hadn’t been born yet’. She had made a promise to herself that she would keep the tattoo a secret unless Regina actually wanted her for who she was not because of a bit of dodgy body art. It was a plan Emma was determined to stick too for her own piece of mind as well as Regina’s. It didn’t mean she couldn’t test the waters though.

“Perhaps the person with the lion tattoo you are destined to be with was in another realm or wasn’t born yet?” Emma suggested.

She waited with bated breath as the brunette mulled over the suggestion. Lying face to face on their sides gave Emma an excellent view of Regina. The Mayor’s brow creased in an adorable manner as she considered the idea and she took several deep breaths. Emma had to resist the temptation to reach out and trace the creases. 

“Perhaps” Regina eventually agreed. “I have no idea how that would affect the fairy dust.”

Emma prayed Regina didn’t decide to go quiz Tinkerbelle or even worse Blue about the matter. All she needed was one of them letting lose some destiny predicting fairy dust around Storybrooke. If Regina found out from someone else or in this case something else that Emma now bore the all important mark then she would probably think the worst and presume the blond was keeping it a secret because the idea horrified her. As much as Emma adored the brunette she did have a habit of taking things the wrong way.

“You know Tinkerbelle really was a lousy fairy so the result could have been totally wrong” Regina spoke up again. The brunette’s tone was serious but her eyes twinkled suggesting she was at least half joking.

“Yeah your true love could really be Leroy!” Emma quipped instantly; the dwarf being the first undesirable man who crept to mind. There wasn’t a person in Storybrooke who disliked Regina more and vice versa. Plus he was loud, obnoxious and incredibly annoying. It would be the match from hell. Regina would incinerate him within five minutes of the first date for sure.

The brunette look horrified by the suggestion and swiftly swung the pillow she had been cuddling in Emma’s direction, smacking her firmly in the face.

“Or not!” Emma laughed at the brunette’s antics as the pillow came around for a second swing at her.

“Most definitely not!” she screeched as she parried the pillow away. Regina started laughing too. Really laughing, rather than just the chuckling Emma had heard from the brunette in the past. The sound was utterly infectious and utterly wonderful.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Henry POV**

 

It had taken about forty minutes to catalogue the shelf of strange magical objects in Mr Gold’s antique shop. It probably would have taken half the time if Henry hadn’t been so curious about the items and their individual stories. Some of the items Henry’s granddad knew very little about other than what he sensed from them others he knew a lot about. The older man had been surprisingly honest even when the story cast a dark light over himself. Henry actually quite appreciated how open he was being eve if a couple of the stories were very cringe worthy.

True to Mr Gold’s word they had gone out for some fresh air and where now walking in the park eating ice cream. It felt good to be out in the open after being cooped up in the apartment and the house for three days. Henry found it curious though that they had ended up in the park as it had been completely his granddad’s choice of location. A lot of the time Henry had spent with his dad, Neal, in Storybrooke had been in the park and it had been one of his mom’s favourite locations for them to go as he grew up. Perhaps it was a family trait? If indeed Regina was Mr Gold’s daughter.

“I get the impression you want to ask me something Henry?” Mr Gold broke their comfortable silence.

Henry glanced around them. The part of the park they were in was completely empty other than the two of them so it seemed safe enough to talk about stuff here.

“I was thinking about what you told me yesterday morning” Henry admitted. “You know...about the possibility that my mom is your daughter.”

Thinking about it was odd but saying it out loud was truly weird. His family tree was complicated enough without this possible development.

“You want me to tell her?” Mr Gold half asked and half stated. Henry had said as much yesterday but obviously his granddad wanted it reaffirming. Or he was praying Henry had changed his mind. He had sympathy for the older man because no doubt his mom would take the news badly at first but in the long run it could be good for both of them. It wasn’t the right time yet though considering his mom still looked under the weather.

“I do” Henry agreed. “In a few days when she is feeling much better I think you have to really.”

Mr Gold stopped as they reached one of the park benches and sat down. It was obvious from the older man’s face that it was a topic that caused him some trouble. Henry had taken in everything he had said the day before about the fear of having let down two children not just one and as far as he possible could Henry understood why that would concern his granddad. Henry was quite sure that the thing that scared Mr Gold more was that after losing his son then Regina would reject him too.

“I do intend too it’s just...I can be a bit of a coward when it comes to...feelings” the older man admitted awkwardly.

Henry was satisfied that his granddad did intend to talk to his mom so he decided to use this opportunity to move the conversation to his next topic of interest.

“Is that why you haven’t asked Belle to marry you?” he asked, deciding it was best to cut straight to the point.

Mr Gold looked at him slightly aghast so Henry took a seat on the other end of the bench. He was perched on the arm so his feet were on the seat of the bench. The older man shuffled in the seat so that he was leaning into the corner of the bench and partly facing Henry.

“I suppose so yes” Mr Gold openly admitted. For now his ice cream cone was forgotten and the only movement a thoughtful Gold made was to spin the top of his cane slowly under his palm.

Henry wasn’t sure exactly what frightened his granddad over the prospect of marriage. It couldn’t be commitment as they already lived together as a couple. The only thing Henry could think of was the fear of rejection but that seemed stupid considering how obvious Belle’s love for the older man was.

“You don’t really think she’d say no do you...?” Henry asked slowly. His granddad let out a choked laugh and shook his head.

“I’m not afraid she’d say no” Mr Gold explained awkwardly. “I’m afraid she’ll say yes.”

He looked at his granddad blankly. This was obviously one of those ‘adults are weird’ moments because it didn’t make sense to Henry. If you loved someone why would you be scared that they loved you back and wanted you to be with them? Was it something to do with Rumpelstiltskin’s history?

“I am trying so hard to be as a good a person as I can be” Mr Gold tried to explain. Obviously he could see Henry’s confusion. “I fear that one day I will do something that shows her she was wrong to believe in me and she will have wasted her life loving someone who could never hope to deserve her.”

Henry hadn’t considered when broaching this topic with his granddad that all this ‘love’ stuff may well be out of his league. However, he may know little about romantic love apart from what he’d read but he did know something about changing for and seeking redemption from those you care about. Something his mom had said not long after the curse had broken slipped into his mind. She said she knew that the more you tried to hold onto something the more you pushed it away and that it had to be his choice to forgive her and want to be with her. The situation wasn’t exactly the same but in a way by avoiding marriage Mr Gold was trying to stay in control of the relationship when in fact he needed to let Belle take the reins and guide him about what she wanted. After her remark about hoping to be his step grandma one day Henry knew exactly what she wanted.

“Shouldn’t the choice of whether to take that risk or not be Belle’s?” he pointed out to his granddad. “It seems to me that she is committed to you for life anyway...at least if you marry her you will be showing the same level of commitment back...right?”

Henry hoped he hadn’t overstepped some sort of invisible boundary during this conversation. Mr Gold seemed awkward but willing enough to talk to him about it. It dawned on Henry though that the man was trying to bond with him and therefore may feel like he had to answer his questions. So Henry decided not to push the topic any further for now.

“Well yes...you’re probably right” his granddad replied before chuckling. “You know considering you share genetics with the Charming’s you are remarkably wise.”

The laughter and the joke caused a sense of relief to wash over Henry. He hadn’t upset his granddad too much and now they had an ‘out’ from the serious topics.

“They didn’t have my mom nagging them to do their homework and get good grades every night” Henry pointed out. His remark caused Gold you chuckle again and he finally began to eat his melting ice cream again.

Mr Gold probably knew better than anyone what kind of taskmaster Regina could be. Henry had no doubt she had learnt her desire to be the best and teaching style from the man himself back in the Enchanted Forest. It was weird to think that Emma, his other mom, had met and spoken to Regina at that stage of her life. Henry was kind of jealous as he would love to have the chance to see and talk to pre-evil queen Regina.

“Is there a third thing you want me to do or is that it now?” Mr Gold inquired with amusement in his voice, raising his eyebrows as he asked the question.  

Henry finished the last of his ice cream cone off as he considered whether or not to ask his granddad about the other thing that was circulating around his mind. On one hand he didn’t think the people in question would appreciate him talking about it to anyone especially not Mr Gold but on the other Henry didn’t really have anyone else to talk to about it. He certainly couldn’t talk to his other grandparents about it and if he tried telling Ruby then it would just get back to them anyway. The only other person was Belle and well...she’d tell his Mr Gold anyway so what was the point?

“You could help me get my two mom’s together...” Henry mumbled quietly. He wasn’t sure what kind of reaction he would get from the older man. His granddad might thing it was a crazy idea and laugh at him.

Laugh is exactly what Mr Gold did but not in a nasty or condescending way. He seemed genuinely amused by Henry’s suggestion but not surprised.

“They don’t need help” the older man responded between more laughter. “Just give them a couple of days living under one roof and you’ll be begging me to teach you a silencing spell!”  

Henry was kind of amazed that it wasn’t just him who thought they were well on their way to getting together. He was expecting everyone to tell him that they liked men and go on about Hook and Emma. _Wait...what had Mr Gold said about magic?_

“What!” Henry exclaimed as his granddad’s words sunk in. “Ewwwwwwwwww that’s gross!”

Mr Gold burst out into a fit of pretty evil laughter at his horrified reaction. Henry was pretty sure it was the older man’s way of getting revenge on him for asking so many awkward questions. Although behind that embarrassing humour the man really did have a point. Perhaps Henry should buy some earplugs with his pocket money just in case because hearing his two moms doing ‘stuff’ would be traumatic.

“I’m going to choose this moment to remind you...” Mr Gold smirked as he spoke, “to be careful what you wish for dearie.”

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Regina POV**

 

Regina could barely keep her eyes open by the time Emma had got to the exciting stuff about Zelena appearing in the Palace and trying to attack a young Snow White. The blond had bragged for at least two minutes about her ‘epic’ use of magic to bind and remove the powers from the Wicked Witch. Regina was excessively proud of the way the blond had tapped into her power on several occasions during her travels but if Emma didn’t get the end of the tale quickly there was a high chance Regina would be snoring before they got to the punch line.

“I’m keeping you awake” Emma stated after she mentioned Rumpelstiltskin showing up without drawing a reaction from the brunette. Regina had heard her she just didn’t have much energy left to comment. Nor was it much of a surprise that the imp was silently watching their every move. He always had been an insufferable nosy creep.

“I’m fine” Regina mumbled in response. “I want to hear the end of the story.”

They had both been lying on their backs for quite a while but Emma shifted to lie on her side again so she was facing Regina. The brunette turned her head but didn’t make the effort of rolling onto her own side. She was far too comfortable and embedded in her memory foam mattress to move.

“There isn’t much left to tell” Emma claimed. “Rumpel gave the potion to the soldiers and Snow, I opened the portal and you promised to take the potion after I had left.”

Regina could tell Emma was skipping over the details because she could tell Regina was close to sleep but the brunette was curious about one of two things. It surprised her to hear that Emma had left her to take the potion and that she had in fact agreed to take it. It would have made more sense to have knocked her out and force fed her it.

“What did you tell me in order to convince me to take the potion?” she asked. Regina watched the blonde’s face as Emma thought through her answer.

“I just told you that I trusted you” Emma replied, shrugging her shoulder like it was no big deal.

The blond seemed to be telling the truth to a certain extent but Regina could tell by the way Emma had mulled over her answer first that she was missing something out. Regina suspected that Emma had perhaps told her something about the future that risked affecting it or perhaps even lied about the future to convince her to take the potion. No matter what she was hiding there was an honest and open look in the blonde’s eye as she had said the word trust. Despite Regina’s sleepy state of body and mind it still gave her tingles. 

“That means a lot to me” she admitted. Regina blinked several times to try and focus on the blond and her visual reaction but her eyelids felt like a lead weight and her vision blared. Eventually she just let her eyes stay closed.

“I’ve now finished the story so can you please rest” Emma pleaded softly. Regina wasn’t sure she could fight of sleep any longer even if she wanted too.

“Mmmkay” she agreed.

The brunette turned her head away from Emma so it was resting in a more comfortable position sunk back into the pillow. As she did so an unruly few strands of hair fell across her face and began tickling her nose. Before Regina had the chance of found the energy to lift her hand and deal with it she felt the fingertips of her companion slowly and gently trace her cheek bone, moving the irritating hair away and tucking it behind her ear. It was the last thing Regina remembered as she drifted off to sleep.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

 

**Storybrooke – Snow POV**

 

“Please Snow we’ve been through this” David called out to her from across the room. “I know it’s your father’s name but I can’t picture myself calling our son Leopold.”

This was about the tenth time they had tried to have a baby name conversation since yesterday and they were still drawing a blank. The only name Snow could think of was her father’s but her husband really did seam apposed. Apparently he didn’t like the fact their son would get called Leo for short.

“Well what else are we going to call him?” Snow asked as she rounded the kitchen counter and her husband and new born son came into view. “So far we’ve come up blank and we can’t keep calling him little Charming forever.”

David was lying across the sofa with ‘little Charming’ lying on his chest. He was awake but quite content as her husband was gently tickling him and playing with his fingers and toes. The image in front of her was so adorable she felt the urge to find her phone and take a couple of pictures.

“Well all the male names that have been common in my family have been tainted” David admitted.  “We had a lot of James, George’s and Daniel’s and between my miscreant brother and my step father they don’t seem too desirable.”

Snow continued to hunt for her phone. She agreed that associating their child with King George was highly undesirable and half the residents of Storybrooke still thought David’s real Enchanted Forest name was James when in fact it was actually David so that would confuse people. Her husband didn’t comment of the Daniel idea and just seemed to automatically rule it out.

“I can’t decide if Regina would like us to call him Daniel or if she’d curse us into next year for it” Snow commented.

“I’d rather not find out” David admitted light heartedly. His laughter caused ‘little Charming’ to gargle in amusement too and both of them cooed at their adorable baby in unison.

Snow finally found her phone down the side of her arm chair and took a picture of them together. David, who had been concentrating on their baby, heard the click of the photo being taken and looked over at her in surprise.

“You really look the part daddy” Snow chuckled. She took another picture now he was looking at her and smiling broadly like an idiot.

 

“I only held Emma for enough time to run her to the enchanted tree” David said sadly, his mood dropping slightly. “I intend to cherish every opportunity I get this time.”

Snow decided to leave the lecture out about needing to put the baby down sometimes and not constantly holding him for another time. She’d been reading up about babies all through her pregnancy and she didn’t want to end up with a needy baby just because the two of them couldn’t get over their unfortunately rational fear of someone whisking him away.

A memory of them all stood in the echo caves flashed to mind. She remembered how terrified Emma had looked at the idea of being replaced. It had been yet another blow on top of Henry being kidnapped and his father turning up alive after they all presumed him dead.

“We could always call him after Emma’s first love?” Snow suggested. Her husband’s first response was to snort in laughter.

“Oh god no I am not calling my son Baelfire!” he exclaimed.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Emma POV**

 

Emma had slept in the spare room for a few hours after Regina had fallen asleep again. The brunette was picking up and Emma had felt confident enough to leave her unsupervised. At around one in the afternoon she had made herself a sandwich and had a cup of coffee before heading into Regina’s study and settling down on the leather sofa with a book called ‘A Fault in our Stars’ she had bought the day before Hook had appeared in New York and turned her world upside down with his memory potion.

Henry had arrived home at around two in the afternoon with a spring in his step. She had asked about his day and had gleamed that he had helped in the shop, went for a walk with Mr Gold and then had lunch at Granny’s. None of that seemed very exciting to Emma but her son seemed to have really enjoyed himself. Apparently Rumpelstiltskin was the in vogue family member at the moment.

Henry had headed into the living room to play with his X-Box which he had brought with him from New York and set up the day before. At around five Emma could read no more. The book was great but she had been reading for nearly four hours straight and her eyes were had started to sting plus she was getting hungry. She had put the book down, leaving on the brunette’s desk, and headed into the living room to check on her son. He had been still happily playing away on his game and barely acknowledged her presence so she headed upstairs to check on his other mother. Regina had been asleep for seven hours at this point and Emma had thought it about time she shook the brunette awake for a couple of hours and fed her.

Regina had awoken easily and had gone downstairs, wrapped in her blanket, to sit in the living room with Henry whilst Emma routed around the kitchen for something quick to eat. Surprisingly Regina had pizza in her freezer. It was some deep base Chicago style barbeque chicken thing and was plenty big enough for the three of them. During the fifteen minutes it took to cook the pizza in the oven Emma made a basic salad to go with it. She was expecting some form of criticism about her choice of meal but instead the brunette had sat quietly at the breakfast bar eating a couple of slices of the pizza and most of the salad.

Once they had all finished eating Henry and Regina had headed into the living room to find them a movie to watch whilst Emma put the dishes in the dishwasher and tidied the kitchen. When Emma joined them in the living room they were both settled and ready to watch the movie. Henry and Regina were on the sofa together so Emma sat on the armchair. Apparently they were watching Despicable Me 2 which was only recently out on DVD. The blond never imagined she’d be watching an animated movie with Regina...ever. Yet they were seconds away from it happening.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Belle POV**

 

It had been a strenuous and tiring day helping feed and relocate the refugees from the Wicked Witches curse. When Belle had offered to help her friend Ruby out she hadn’t realised quite how much work it would take to have everyone either in their own accommodation or housed temporally with ‘foster’ families.

It was six in the evening before she finally returned home again. On opening the front door yes couldn’t help but break out into smile. For the first two weeks of being back in Storybrooke she had returned at the end of everyday to an empty house. Now with Rumpel returned safely to her she was walking in to find the lights on and the faint sound of humming coming from the kitchen.

She entered the room to find her partner with his back to her wearing a red apron over his suit pants and black shirt. He was busy stirring whatever it was he had prepared for them to eat. Whatever it was smelt delicious.

“You’re in a good mood” she quipped, making the usually calm man jump slightly.

“Belle” He greeted as he swung around to face her. He bounced over to her like a child and planted a firm kiss on her lips. She hadn’t seen him in such a good mood since the days after the curse when he had discovered a way of getting across the town line.

“Good timing...It’s nearly ready” he told her, gesturing to the stove with the utensil her still held in his hand. “Go wait in the dining room and I’ll bring it in.”

He kissed her again before returning to the stove. She watched him for a few more seconds before heading into the dining room like he had told her.  On arrival she was surprised to find that the table was already set and there was a lit candelabrum with red candles and a vase of a dozen red roses on the table. It was a lovely surprise and a very romantic gesture.

Romantic gestures from Rumpel were not uncommon and she was sure other people would be amazed by how attentive he was as a partner. This however, coupled with his mood, seemed very significant but she daren’t get her hopes up. He was probably just celebrating their first night alone since he had been broken free of Zelena’s control.

Just as she sat down in her usual place Rumpel entered carrying two plates of steaming hot stir fry. He placed his down first and then walked to her side of the table and placed hers down carefully in front of her. It was her favourite food and it was served on Rumpel’s best crockery.

“Mmmmm what’s all this?” she asked as Rumpel took the seat opposite her.

“I have two things to talk to you about” he admitted. “The first is a good thing I hope and the other might be a bit strange but I’ve already talked to Henry about it so I really should inform you too.”

Belle had expected him to deny that there was any reason behind the candles and the choice of food until later but apparently he was getting straight to the point. She didn’t like the sound of whatever the second thing was but if he had discussed it with his grandson then it couldn’t be too terrible right?

“Okay” she replied. “You should start with the second one I think. Get it over and done with.”

The food was still steaming so it was clearly too hot to eat. So she sat patiently and waited for him to speak. It took a few seconds for him to build up the courage and when he finally did he just sort of blurted the words out.

“IthinkImightbeRegina’sfather” he said extremely quickly. Despite the speed of his words she managed to decipher them though and for a couple of seconds she just stared at him blankly whilst he looked down awkwardly at his stir fry.

“So I could virtually be the Evil Queens step mother?” she asked as the words dawned on her. When he looked up at her and nodded she found herself involuntarily bursting out into a fit of laughter at the ridiculousness of it all.

Their world really was messed up. She was younger than Regina and the woman had held her captive for years first in a prison tower and then in a mental ward at the hospital. What did Rumpel mean by ‘might be’ Regina’s father anyway? She’d known for a while that he’d had a dalliance with Cora but it had never crossed her mind that there could have been an end product to it.

“Well...that leads on to the second thing...or the first thing I wanted to say” her partner stated once her amusement had died down. He was obviously unnerved by her bout of laughter and looked unsure if he should continue. She reached out across the table and grasped his hand. This seemed to give him enough confidence to go on.

“I was hoping you might want to be my wife” he said softly. Belle’s world seemed to stop at these words. It was exactly what she wanted but she didn’t expect it.

Rumpel reached under the table and his hand reappeared containing the Dark One’s dagger. He placed it in front of her and smiled softly. She knew the significance of this gift. Whoever had the dagger could control him if they chose to and in giving it to her he was showing her the ultimate trust with his heart, mind and body. It was very sweet but not remotely traditional in this land or the Enchanted Forest.

“Most people give people a ring” she chuckled, running her finger along the blade of the dagger.

“Oh!” Rumpel exclaimed and shoved his hand in his pocket. “I have one of those too.”

This time his hand re-appeared grasping a beautifully crafted gold ring with a single small elegant diamond. As he held it out to her she could see from the craftsmanship that it was from their old land and not from this one.

On seeing the ring all her surprise ebbed away and her other emotions of joy jumped to the surface. She was on her feet instantly and hauled him up by his shirt so she could kiss him. After a momentary delay whilst he caught up with her actions he began to kiss her back vigorously and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Is this your way of saying yes?” he asked when they finally parted for air.

“Mmmmhmmm” she agreed. She held out her hand for him to slip the ring on whilst her other arm remained draped around his neck.

Rumpel had obviously spelled the ring because it looked too big but magically seemed to fit her finger when slid in to place. Once the ring was in place she returned to her previous task of kissing him senseless. Right now she couldn’t care less if she was about to become step mother to the whole of Storybrooke, she’d worry about who her relations were later.

As they broke apart again she started edging away from the table, pulling his sleeve so he would follow. He moved slowly and glanced over his shoulder at the spread on the table.

“Don’t you want your dinner?” he asked.

She chuckled at the confused look at his face. He had obviously spent a while preparing all this for her but she really did have other things on her mind right now.

“We can re-heat it later” she promised him. “Right now I just want you.”

His eyes widened at her response. He lifted his hand and gestured for her to wait one second before quickly turning back to the table and blowing the candles out. Once he had ensured that their actions would cause the house to burn down he turned back towards her and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. He surprised her by lifting her up so she had her legs wrapped around his waist and she squealed in surprise. The pair of them giggled like teenagers as he carried her in the direction of the stairs with the largest cheesiest smile she had ever seen plastered across his face.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Regina POV**

 

The first Despicable Me film had been one of if not the last film Regina and Henry had been to the cinema together to see. Part of her wondered if that was why he had chosen the sequel for them to watch together or if it had just been incidental. Whatever his reason was she was glad of his choice because she still felt to under the weather to really concentrate on a complicated movie plot and this was light viewing. It was also pretty funny for a film for children.

After forty minutes into the film Henry had curled up and laid his head on her thigh so he was watching the film from her lap. There had been the urge to fuss over him and stroke his hair but she resisted. He was a young teenager now and she doubted he’d appreciate it so she settled for laying her hand in a comfortable position on his shoulder. As the two of them chuckled their way through the movie she had nearly forgot about Emma’s presence because the blond had been surprisingly quiet. Regina took a cursory glance in Emma’s direction to see if she was asleep or not enjoying the movie.

Instead as she turned her head her eyes met the blondes and Emma smiled warmly at her. It appeared that the younger woman was more interested in watching her and their son interact then she was the movie. In the past Regina would have expected to see a little bit of jealousy but instead all she could see in the blonde’s sapphire eyes was warmth and affection. The brunette was caught by surprise at the swell of warmth she felt in her own chest in response.

Emma smiled awkwardly and glanced back towards the screen. Regina suspected that the blondes eyes wouldn’t remain glued to the screen for long so she continued to watch Emma. After about ten seconds the blonde’s eyes shifted from the film again and locked onto Regina’s. This time both of them smiled and even in the faint light omitted by the TV in an otherwise dark room Regina could tell that the blond was blushing. It only made the warm feeling in Regina’s chest spread further and burn hotter.

“You look a bit lonely over there” Regina spoke up. “There is space for three over her you know.”

Emma looked surprised by the offer and shifted to the edge of her seat without daring to get up and move yet. Henry, who had been oblivious to their ocular interaction, lifted his head of Regina’s lap and glanced at the blond before curling his legs up a bit more to give her space.  Emma eased her way across to the sofa and sat down. Henry instantly spread again and placed his legs over the blonde’s lap. The two women shared a smile at their son’s actions and the brunette mused at how domestic the position they were all now sat in felt.   

Regina wasn’t really sure what she was doing or where it was leading. She could try and convince herself that she was just trying to get along with Emma for Henry’s sake all she liked but if that was the case then she’d have just left the blond sat on the other side of the room. No something had been evolving between them for a while, slowly but surely, since they had stopped the trigger that would have destroyed Storybrooke together. It had been small step by small step in Neverland. They had a common aim; to rescue Henry, and at some point along their journey he had stopped being ‘my son’ and become ‘our son’. They had shown on numerous occasions that they could work together and Regina had learnt that the only really annoying thing about the blond was her parents.

On their return to Storybrooke there had been no time to explore their newfound trust and respect for one another because Pan’s recasting of the curse had cruelly ripped Regina and Henry (and therefore Emma) apart. There had been some exploration on Emma and Henry’s return whilst trying to foil Zelena and her plans. The blond had literally saved her life and her heart. She had been the last thing Regina had seen before slipping into unconsciousness and the first thing she had seen when she awoke.

Emma had come to mean something to her and something was building between them. Regina allowed herself another look at the blond who was now sitting alongside her. Emma was focused on the movie and the light from the screen danced across the blonde’s face as she smiled at whatever amusing thing was happening on screen. She looked stunning and she looked more content than Regina could ever remember seeing her look before. There had always felt like there was something missing from Regina life even after she had adopted Henry. Watching Emma now she wondered if this had been it. She could imagine Emma being around every day, the three of them together as a family in whatever form or shape that took. If Gru, the kids and his minions could be a family in this ridiculous movie then surely she, Henry and Emma could manage just fine.

Regina could picture them all sitting down for breakfast every morning before work and school. She could picture the three of them returning home after work and enjoying an evening meal together. She could imagine her and Emma sneaking in romantic evenings whilst Henry was out at his friends of his grandparents and stolen kisses in the station or Mayor’s office. She could imagine taking a family vacation to New York with Henry and Emma showing her all the sights. Regina could imagine doing all the things that family did with the blond.

On seeing Robin’s tattoo she had thought she was meant to have that family with him. It had been stupid to allow herself to be influenced so much by some enchanted dust cast by the least talented fairy she had ever met. Yet in many ways Robin and Emma were similar. Both had criminal backgrounds, a cute son and an ability to answer her back without fearing her wrath. The difference was that Robin had been an annoyance to her until she saw the tattoo whereas Emma had been an annoyance until she got to know her. Emma was her choice and that was as startling a realisation as any the brunette could ever recall having.

There was a pinging sound which dragged Regina from her thoughts. Henry reached out and picked up his phone from the coffee table without lifting his head of her lap.

“Awwwww” he cooed after a couple seconds of clicking on his phone.

“Mr Gold and Belle are engaged” he stated. He lifted the phone up so that she and Emma could see the screen. Rumpelstiltskin had sent him a picture, one of those ‘selfies’, of him and Belle with the young brunette holding her hand in front of them to show off a finely crafted wedding ring.

It was obviously no surprise to Henry that Rumpel had intended to ask Belle for her hand in marriage. Regina was curious about what else her son and his grandfather talked about.

“She looks happy” Henry stated as he put the phone back down on the coffee table.

Regina glanced across the sofa at Emma to find the blond smiling. Regina wasn’t sure if it was at the news or at the fact Henry had received a picture message of Rumpelstiltskin. Or perhaps it was something else entirely.

“Yes she does” Regina replied, not entirelysure if she was referring to Belle or his other mother.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

 

**Storybrooke – Regina POV**

 

Regina had been awoken by the same thing as the previous morning, the sunlight creeping through a gap in the curtains and hitting her directly in the face. The difference this morning had been that she was totally alone between the sheets of her bed. Yesterday she had awoken to the warm bodies of Emma and their son wrapped around her. Last night her son had slept in his own room and Emma had slept in the spare room.  It was a little alarming how much she had actually missed waking up without the human contact.

Regina had gone to bed straight after the film had finished the night before because she still felt tired and weak so she had no idea what time the other two had gone to bed. As far as she was aware they had decided to watch another film. They were both still asleep when she had got up at eight thirty so she had decided to leave them that way for a while longer whilst she made breakfast.

She felt pretty good this morning although she had no doubts that she would be in bed again by lunch time. At least she was slowly progressing each day. In the knowledge her energy reserves were limited she had stuck with making blueberry pancakes for breakfast rather than going the whole hog and making a cooked breakfast. She had nearly finished when the first of the two sleepyheads appeared from upstairs.

“Morning mom” Henry greeted as he wandered into the kitchen, still dressed in his blue and white striped pyjamas. It was likely to be a pyjama party this morning as Regina was still dressed in her grey silken set and robe.

“Morning sweetheart” she replied fondly. “Do you want to go wake Emma up and tell her there are pancakes waiting for her?”

Henry continued into the kitchen and opened the fridge. He reached in and grabbed the large bottle of fresh orange juice.

“She’s up already” he informed her as he proceeded to pour himself a glass of juice. It was amazing to have him back but it also saddened her to see how much he had physically and emotionally grown up. Gone was the little boy who required her to see to his every need and a young man stood in his place. She had missed a whole year of his life.

“She was dancing around outside the bathroom with crossed legs when I came out” he continued after he placed the juice back in the fridge. “She tried to tell me off for taking so long but I told her the early bird catches the worm.”

Regina chuckled at their son. He may have Emma’s biology and inherited her ability to attract trouble but in many ways he was the product of his upbringing. He was well read, quick-witted and sarcastic and most of his facial expressions mirrored her own. He was neither nurture over nature or nature over nurture but a surprisingly well balanced mix of the two. Henry had taken on the best from both his parents and at this early stage of his life seemed to be untouched by their worst features. He was the one thing either of them had done right.

“Why didn’t she just use mine?” Regina asked, directing her thoughts back to the conversation.

Henry eyebrows raised but his face remained relatively blank. Just from the small shift in his facial expression she could see how surprised he was that she would allow Emma to invade her personal space like that. It was completely out of character for her after all.

“I doubt she realised you were up yet” he replied.

“No she didn’t” the blonde’s familiar voice rang out as she entered the kitchen. “Nor does she think you should be doing that quite yet.”

Emma gestured towards Regina and the hob over which the brunette was standing as she spoke. Regina had never been fond of people pandering over her, probably because she wasn’t used to it. She had grown up with a mother who showed very little affection and certainly no patience whatsoever. Regina’s father had occasionally tried to fuss over her and her needs but had always been very quickly cut down by Cora. However given the circumstances Emma’s care was quite touching and not entirely unwelcome.

“No?” Regina replied coyly as she began to plate up the pancakes for the three of them.

Henry had already taken a seat at the breakfast bar and Emma headed over to join him. The blond took the seat next to their son just as Regina put their plates down in front of them. Emma’s eyes lit up as the smell of the pancakes wafted towards her.

“Not that I’m complaining because they smell really good” the blond continued her previous train of thought. “However you are meant to be the patient and we are meant to be taking care of you.”

“That’s sweet dear but I’m feeling a lot better” Regina responded smoothly as she took the seat opposite the blond.

Emma was about to take a mouthful of pancake but on hearing Regina’s response she seemed to freeze mid movement so she had her mouth open and the fork containing the food hovered a few centimetres away from its destination. Regina had called the blond ‘dear’ plenty of times before but usually with distain and never with affection. Apparently it had caught Emma off guard. Henry had already started to eat so was oblivious so Regina threw a flirtatious smirk the blonde’s way.

The smirk seemed to kick start Emma back into life and she stuffed a large mouthful of blueberry pancake in her mouth. She moaned appreciatively the second she began to chew. Before Regina could comment the door bell rang.

 

“Who would come around this early?” Emma asked as Henry automatically got up and went to answer the door without having to be asked. Regina thought the answer was obvious and she also thought that nine wasn’t really all that early.

“Your mother probably” she predicted. In truth Regina quite hoped it was Snow so she could meet their new baby boy.

“I doubt she’ll be up and about...” Emma started to to comment but their son cut in by shouting from the front hall.

“Mom, ma its grandma!” he called.

Regina couldn’t help feeling a bit smug so she dramatically bowed at the blond. Emma rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide a smirk nor her blush at their silent interaction. When Snow arrived in the kitchen the two of them were eating their breakfast with smiles on their faces.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Emma POV**

 

“Emma, Regina” Mary Margaret greeted the two of them. “It’s good to see you up and about.”

Emma’s mother was carrying her newborn in a black and lime green car seat. She set the seat down on one of the counters and began to unclip all the safety straps as Henry took his seat at the breakfast bar again.

“Would you like any blueberry pancakes Snow there are a couple left” Regina offered. The brunette stood up and headed over to the hob and plated up the two left over pancakes.

“Aren’t you meant to be taking care of her Emma and not the other way around?” Snow remarked as she took a seat at the breakfast bar with baby Charming in her lap.

“See!” Emma exclaimed at Regina. That is exactly what she had been trying to tell the brunette earlier but she had just dismissed the notion. Emma had thought her attempt at scrambled egg yesterday morning had been pretty passable but obviously it didn’t meet Regina’s high culinary standards.

“So this is Charming junior” Regina declared as she placed the plate in front of Mary Margaret, seemingly skirting around the topic of exerting herself.

“May I?” Regina asked, reaching out in the direction of Charming junior.

Snow handed her son over without question and began to tuck into the pancakes. Regina retook her own seat at the breakfast bar next to Snow and began to coo over the baby. Emma found herself far more captivated by that then by the last half of her pancake. Obviously she had seen Regina with their own son Henry but he was in double figures by the time he turned up at Emma’s apartment in Boston. She had never had the chance to see Regina with baby Henry although she still had the remnants of the memories Regina had given her of bringing up Henry from birth. From the way Regina was cooing at Charming junior she had obviously been a very affectionate mother when he was that age.

“You have your father’s looks” Regina told the little boy in a surprisingly cute voice for someone who had once struck terror in the Enchanted Forest as ‘the Evil Queen’. “Let’s hope you haven’t inherited his brain little man!”

Prior to Netherland such a comment would surely of been met with distain from Emma’s mother but the two of them seemed to have patched up their ‘relationship’ (Emma had no idea how to define that relationship) during the last year.

“Yeah I’m hoping he takes more after me on that front” Mary Margaret quipped between mouthfuls of pancake. Her response drew a matching chuckle from both Regina and Henry who had now finished eating. Emma was too busy watching Regina with her little brother to join in with the humour.

“Where is he?” Emma enquired, curious as to why her father wasn’t visiting them too.

“Helping out with the town repairs” her mother replied. “I think he needed to get out and do something manly for a few hours.”

Now that did make Emma chuckle. David was a man of action and although she had no doubts that he would be a fantastic father he could never be a stay at home dad. He had become too accustomed fighting battles and bad guys as a Prince and Emma suspected the period of 28 years he had spent in a comma had only increased that restlessness. He found it very hard to sit around and do nothing, something Emma sympathised with.  After hunting Zelena for weeks in Storybrooke and then chasing her around the Enchanted Forest Emma could cope with a couple of days rest but she was well aware she would start to become restless over the next 48 hours.

“If I get dressed before Gran leaves can I go help too?” Henry suddenly piped up.

Emma understood that he had been cooped up in the apartment for the whole time she was in the Enchanted Forest but she was worried Regina may be a little hurt from this constant need to leave the house and see other family members. The blond took a cursory glance across the table to the recovering brunette to gage what she was thinking. Regina caught the glance and directed her attention away from the baby long enough to smile and nod her head at Emma.

“Of course you can” the blond informed their son.

Henry was out of his seat in an instant and went galloping out of the kitchen and up the stairs. It was only once he was gone that Emma realised they had just made yet another civil co-parenting decision. Two mornings on the trot they had mutually agreed for Henry to go out without any arguing or harsh words. This was progress. This was....domestic.

“I erm...I wanted to ask you two something” Mary Margaret broke Emma from her reverie.

Her mother was fiddling with the fork in her hand in an anxious manner. It made Emma nervous. She had terrible visions of her mother asking them something mortifying like ‘are you two sleeping together?’ In reality there was no obvious reason for Mary Margaret to suspect anything of the sort because it wasn’t happening...but something was happening between the two of them and her mother was the perceptive type when it came to relationships.

“Well Enchanted Forest tradition is usually to have four godparents...two women and two men” Mary Margaret began. Much to Emma’s relief the topic was apparently her little brother and not her love life.

“Obviously I am going to ask Leroy and Ruby but when David and I discussed it we decided to break away from tradition slightly” the anxious woman continued. Emma couldn’t see why her mother would be so fidgety over only having two god parents but then they were big on their ‘home’ traditions. Nor could she see what it had to do with her and Regina.

 “...and well we were wondering if you and Emma would like to be his godparent too?” Mary Margaret suddenly blurted out.

Emma sat and stared across the table at her mother whilst Regina seemed to freeze in her seat next to Mary Margaret. It made sense for Emma to be his godparent even though she was also his sister because she was so much older than him and therefore could take on legal guardianship should something terrible happen to their parents. Even though she had noticed the growing closeness between her mother and Regina she hadn’t realised it had reached the point where Snow White would ask The Evil Queen to be a godparent. Disney would roll in his grave at the idea.

There was an awkward silence as Regina processed what was happening and then she suddenly burst into life, nearly catapulting Charming junior in her excitement.

“Yes...YES!” she exclaimed before calming herself back down to her normal poised self.  “I mean of course...that would be lovely Snow.”

The brunette’s excitement had been just as captivating for Emma to watch as her mothering skills had been. It was breathtaking to see all these different sides to Regina that had been locked up and stored away before.

“Which one of us is taking the place of the guy then?” Emma quipped.

She was rather offended when her mother and Regina looked at each other and then to her in sync before breaking out into what could only describes as giggling. She could get done up in a dress and heels too! She wasn’t all about jeans, guns and leather jackets.

“Oh that’s just...Charming!” the blond huffed. Her protests only seemed to send the two brunette’s into more fits of giggles. Perhaps the two of them getting along wasn’t as good a thing as she first imagined.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Charming POV**

 

David headed down the main street from the direction of the town hall looking for work group who were fixing the last of the fences and signposts that had been knocked down or damaged in the flying monkey attack. Ruby was walking right behind him as she had given him an update at the town hall but now needed to check in on Granny.

The young wolf had been working vigorously for the last couple of days to find permanent housing for the people who had not lived in Storybrooke previously but had been brought across as flying monkeys during the most recent curse. There were only a few left without a permanent home and they were either staying with a local family or at Granny’s. Ruby had informed him that Aurora had given birth to a little girl and she and Philip had been assigned to a detached house down the road from Regina’s on Mifflin Street which had stood empty since the new curse. Robin, his merry men and his son had taken up residence at Zelena’s farm house and were determined to restore it to a working farm.    

Ruby had also informed him that Robin and Philip were both in town helping Hook and some of the Dwarves fixing fences so he had decided to go help.

Mary Margaret was looking surprisingly healthy and energetic for a woman who had only given birth a couple of days earlier. Yet even considering her impressive energy level’s David had been surprised when his wife had offered to drop him off on the main street whilst she visited their daughter with their newborn son. He had expected Mary Margaret to need and want him around for at least a couple more days.

Part of him wondered if she had just taken pity on him because he had become restless after being stuck in the house for over 24 hours straight. It wasn’t really a long period of time but he was used to being a man of action plus there was a huge town clear up going on and it was hard just sitting back and letting others deal with the crisis. Not only was he a Prince but he was also the acting Sheriff of Storybrooke. It was a role he was hoping would return to Emma as it seemed more and more likely that she would stay in the small town in Maine with her family. However, for now the weight of the role of Sheriff fell upon his shoulders so he was determined to do what he could to help even if it was just for the morning.

“Hey” David greeted as he approached Hook and Robin Hood who were working together on the area of fencing outside of Granny’s. Further down the road Davis could see Grumpy and Philip wrestling with the signpost for the pharmacy.

Hook and Robin both acknowledged him with a nod whilst they worked but when they saw Ruby behind him they both became less concerned with the fence.

“Hey Ruby!” Both men greeted in unison before exchanging amused looks with the other.

“Hey Killian hey Robin” the young brunette replied with some mirth in her voice. She rolled her eyes at David before heading off into the dinner to see her grandma. Hook and Robin paused what they were doing completely and watched her walk away before returning to their task as soon as she was out of site.

David had the distinct impression that the two of them had a competition going to see which one of them could charm her first. Ruby was an attractive woman so it didn’t surprise him that she had caught that kind of attention. Robin had lost his wife after the birth of his son and had already told David he had no designs on Regina so it was not surprising to see him interested in someone else. Hook on the other hand had almost mercilessly pursued Emma, David’s own daughter, for nearly a year (not including the year they had been sent back to the Enchanted Forest which it made it two years of pining). At times his relentlessness had irked David but he also accepted the fact that deep down Hook’s heart was in the right place and the two of them had become friends.

“I thought you only had eyes for Emma” Charming remarked as Hook continued to hold the post in place with his one good hand.

“Alas her eyes are fixed firmly elsewhere mate” the Pirate replied. There was mirth in his voice but it was clear Hook was trying to hide the fact he was actually hurting. Charming had sympathy for his friend but that didn’t mean he wanted to see him rebound onto Ruby and hurt her feelings too.

“On the topic of women where is your lovely wife?” Hook shifted the conversation. “Has she got sick of your company and kicked you out of the apartment?”

“Something like that” Charming admitted. “She’s gone to see Emma, Henry and Regina with Charming junior.”

At the mention of Emma’s name Hook merely nodded before looking back at the post again. Robin seemed to notice the other man’s unease too and threw a questioning look at David. David thought it best to just treat the man like everything was normal and carried on talking.

“She’s gone to ask Emma and Regina if they would like to be godparents” he informed the pair, “I have no idea how Regina will react!”

Hook let go of the post and straightened up suddenly nearly causing the half built fencing to topple but luckily Robin grabbed hold of it before that happened.

“Wow I didn’t think the two of them would get it together and let the family know so fast!” Hook exclaimed.

David looked at the Pirate blankly as he tried to process what he was going on about. What had Emma and Regina let the family know? Get it together? As in Regina and Emma where together? As in Regina and Emma where a couple?

“Emma....and Regina?” David mumbled out loud, trying to get his mind around Hook’s revelation.

“Oh....OH” Hook’s face fell when he realised the Prince had no idea what he was talking about. “Oh god I thought with her asking the both of them together....”

From the look of panic and the back peddling David could tell Hook wasn’t joking or trying to wind him up. The Pirate genuinely seemed to think that Emma and the Evil Queen where in a romantic relationship and he had just ruined their secret.

“Emma and Regina are together?” David asked for clarities sake.

“No! Yes! Maybe!” Hook squeaked before wrestling the post off Robin and trying to refocus on the work. “If they aren’t yet they soon will be but I really shouldn’t have told you that...Swan will kill me mate.”

It was and it wasn’t a surprise. He hadn’t expected to hear from Hook that his daughter and their one time enemy where a couple but it didn’t surprise him that either woman was attracted to the other. They had a certain energy about them when they were stuck in the same space together and he had noticed several looks pass between them. However it was a big leap for the two of them to get together right now considering just before Emma’s foray into the past it appeared she and Hook would get together and Regina had show interest in Robin. He had no idea what his wife would make of it all. She’d either freak or be excited for them...he couldn’t imagine anything in the middle.

“Now that is an attractive couple” Robin chirped up as he hammered the post into position a few times.

“I know” Hook agreed. “The mental imagery has helped me recover far quicker then I would have expected...”

 David was in shock but that didn’t mean he was going to let the pair of them openly fantasise about his daughter and Regina having lesbian relations. He was a firm believer that people should keep thoughts like that to themselves or if they involved his daughter he would prefer they didn’t have them at all.

“That’s my daughter you are talking about!” he chastised both men.

Both Hook and Robin looked apologetically at him and Robin nodded his head in deference. It was easy to forget in Storybrooke that Robin still viewed him as royalty and not just another person. Those that had been in the town during the first curse where used to him being both Prince and small town citizen. He was both. They were both Enchanted Forest folk and Maine residents. Robin had only ever been himself. In many ways he and his Merry Men were the odd ones out in Storybrooke.

“Could you both keep this quite” David allowed Prince Charming to emerge in his tone so that the two men understood it was an order as much as a request. “I really would rather Mary Margaret found out from Emma and not through gossip.”

“You have my word” Robin agreed immediately.

When Hook didn’t instantly reply David set his gaze upon the younger looking man. The Pirate instantly and defensively raised his hooked arm.

“I promise mate” he stated dramatically. “I really don’t want Regina to fireball me and I saw what Emma can do with all that magic stuff in the Enchanted Forest!”

David rolled his eyes at the Pirate and walked away. If Hook thought a fireball from Regina was the worst thing that could happen he had another thing coming. David was fond of the Pirate yes but he’d gut him with his sword if the idiot outed Emma and Regina before the two of them were ready.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Getting very close to the tattoo revelation now.... Watch this space :-p**

**Also, sorry about the delay but I am hammered in work at the moment. Next chapter will be about three weeks away maybe two if I get a spare evening.**

**Thanks to everyone who had read, reviewed, followed and liked the story. Love you all x**

 

 


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

 

**Storybrooke – Regina POV**

 

“Hey how are you feeling?” Belle asked as she slipped into the booth at Granny’s. The younger brunette was next to Mary Margaret and opposite Emma’s empty seat. The blonde was currently up at the counter ordering their drinks.

Somehow Mary Margaret had managed to convince them to leave the house and join her and Charming junior in Granny’s for a coffee. There was something mentioned about fresh air but Regina had been too dazed by godmother revelation to question or really concentrate on Snow White’s words. Emma had actually tried to dissuade Snow and protested that Regina wasn’t up to going out quite yet. Regina and assured Emma she was fine partly because she resented being told what to do and partly because she felt bad for the blond because she had been cooped up indoors with her for two days solid. So she and Emma had got dressed and the blonde had driven the pair of them and Henry a few minutes down the road to Granny’s. Where upon arrival Henry had dashed off to go help Charming rebuild and paint a new sign for the bakery.

“I feel a lot better thanks” Regina responded politely. Henry and Emma had both informed her that both Belle and Gold had spent a considerable amount of time nursing her when she was under the sleeping curse and unconscious. During which time Henry had bonded with his grandfather to the extent that they were now texting each other.

“I believe congratulations are in order?” Regina spoke up again. She had almost forgotten about the celebratory ‘selfie’ Henry had showed her and Emma off the newly engaged couple.

“Yes thank you” Belle blushed as she replied. “Did Henry tell you?”

As she spoke the soon to be Mrs. Gold held out her left hand and showed of her engagement ring to both women. Regina nodded in response as she took a long look at the ring.

“Oh it’s beautiful Belle!” Mary Margaret gushed as she admired the ring.

It really was a lovely ring. It was gold and handcrafted with a beautifully set diamond. Regina knew Rumpelstiltskin’s lowly background so it was certainly no family heirloom...or not a family heirloom of his anyway. It was probably something he had schemed and traded for back in the enchanted forest. Regina herself owned a very similar ring except the setting did not contain a diamond but a Deep Purple Spinel gemstone. It had been a gift from the terrified King of the Tamavarian Kingdom when she had travelled there with Jefferson and his hat. It was not longer after she had earned the ‘Evil Queen’ mantra and apparently news had spread across the realms quickly.  

“Rumpel really enjoyed spending the morning with Henry yesterday” Belle began to talk again.

Regina could tell the younger woman was on a fishing expedition to try and ascertain her views on Henry and Gold spending time together. Perhaps Belle was concerned that Emma had allowed it to happen but now that Regina was back on her feet she would put a stop to it. Certainly a couple of years ago that would have been the case but then at that time she was still battling Emma and the Charming’s. Times were changing, especially as she appeared to have one of them living with her now and quite amiably so.  

“Henry enjoyed it too” Regina admitted as Emma approached the table, tray in hand, with Ruby following behind. “It’s good for him to have some male influences in his life. Miss Swan here doesn’t count!”

She carefully timed her remark so the blond was in earshot. Emma’s masculinity had been a joke around the breakfast table earlier and had drawn an amusing reaction from the blond so Regina couldn’t resist having a good natured dig at her.

“Are you insulting me again?” Emma asked as she began to hand out the drinks. Emma placed Regina’s down first and the brunette was impressed to see that Emma had her order correct. It was an Americano with a separate portion of soya milk.

“Yes dear...is there a problem?” Regina replied smoothly.

Emma finished handing out the latte’s to Mary Margaret and Belle and a hot chocolate to herself before plonking herself down next to Regina and spreading out so her arms were across the back of the seat. The blond looked incredibly relaxed and quite desirable in her tight jeans and button down grey shirt. Ruby remained standing next to the table on the same side as Belle and Snow. 

“I’ll take whatever abuse pleases you if I wake up to blueberry pancakes again tomorrow” Emma threw back. Her words were emphasised with a cheeky smirk. Regina found herself instantly smiling back.

When they had first met such a facial expression directed her way would have incensed Regina. Then again Emma breathing had incensed her at that time. Now she couldn’t imagine a world without the infuriating blond saviour in it. In fact after having the blond living with her for just two days she couldn’t picture her home without Emma and Henry in it. It was something she was going to have to address pretty soon or she would be healthy again and they would be moving out.     

“Oh my god never mind Belle’s engagement...you two sound married!” Ruby declared dramatically. “Next you’ll be bickering about Emma leaving the toilet seat up!”

 “I am not a man!” the blond protested.  She had tensed up and sat bolt upright again. For a second Regina thought she was unhappy about the marriage reference until Emma spoke up. Regina tried to hide her smirk by reaching for the cup of coffee but it was too late, all eyes (including Emma’s) fell upon her.

 “I have an en-suite so you’ll have to ask Henry about her bathroom habits.”

Her response drew a chuckle from the two women sat opposite her. Emma on the other hand picked up her own hot drink and looked over the top of the latte glass at Regina in a way that the brunette could only describe as flirtatious. Regina tried to focus on her own drink and not the blond but she could feel the blush creeping up to her cheeks.

“Uhhuh” Ruby muttered before clearing her throat.  “When do I get to hold my godson to be?”

Regina was relieved that the young waitress had turned everyone’s attention back to Charming junior who was happily positioned in his baby seat between Snow and the wall. His mother picked him up out of the seat as delicately as possible and passed her across Belle and up to the standing Ruby. Regina had been too busy cooing at the baby as he changed hands to notice anyone approach the table.

“Ladies” a familiar voice greeted. It was Hook. He had obviously crept into the dinner whilst they were offending Emma and was now here to fawn over the blond like he usually did. Regina didn’t know if she could bear to watch him and Emma talk now she had accepted her own feelings for the blond.

“Hey Killian” Emma greeted. All Regina managed was a curt nod.

Instead of going all doe eyed on the blond the Pirate surprised Regina by turning his focus to her instead. There was something odd about his whole manner though as he lacked his usual confident swagger and instead seemed quiet and deferent.

“I’m glad to see you up and well Regina” he said politely, although there was some genuine concern for her wellbeing in his voice. “You did give us quite the scare though.”

It was a reminder that Emma had not been alone in the past but had in fact had the pining Pirate there to keep her company. The blond had rather played down his presence when filling Regina in on the events that had taken place but then again she had played down the way he pandered over her during their first magic lesson in Regina’s family crypt. The brunette had never been able to hide her jealousy well but this time she forced it down and tried to be as civil as possible.

“I believe I have you to thank for my good health” she said; forcing a smile to show gratitude for his role in retrieving her heart from her crazy hell bent half sister.

“Oh no it was all Swan” Hook deflected instantly. “I was just there to provide my dashing looks and good humour.”

It was a very in character thing for him to say but the words still lacked their usual vigour and swagger. There was definitely something amiss with the Pirate yet Emma didn’t seem all that surprised by his behaviour. Instead she continued to sip at her hot chocolate and watch Ruby with her little brother.

“Anyway I should get back to the fence rebuilding” Hook dismissed himself without any lingering looks at the Saviour. “Enjoy your drinks ladies.”

Regina watched the Pirate walk away and waited until he was out Granny’s and therefore out of earshot before she enquired about his behaviour. The other women didn’t even seem to notice he had gone as they were all watching Ruby bounce Snow’s baby in her arms.

“What’s wrong with him?” she directed her question towards Emma but it wasn’t answered by the blond.

“Emma turned down his offer of marriage and broke his pretty little Pirate heart” Ruby explained as she continued to lightly bounce a content Charming junior. Emma rolled her eyes and placed her hot chocolate back down on the table.

Regina had to try and hide her smug smile. As a person she had very little against the Pirate...he smelt, never changed his clothes and made annoying comments but as a general rule his heart was in the right place and he was handy and brave in a fight. No her only real issue with his presence was the way he fawned over Emma and the fact the blond had only ever half heartedly rejected him. Now it appeared that the saviour had finally rejected him once and for all. Regina had to lift her mug in front of her face to hide her gleeful expression.

“He actually offered you his hand in marriage?” she asked for clarification.

“Oh yes” the blond replied, rolling her eyes dramatically. “It took at least a day to convince him I really meant no but when I told him I liked...I mean I didn’t like him like that...he finally took the hint.”

 From the awkward expression as Emma stumbled over her words Regina could tell there was a near slip up. Had Emma been milliseconds away from telling Regina she liked her in the middle of Granny’s. Regina certainly hoped she was the reason Emma had rejected Hook.

“Well I suppose you can’t blame him for trying” Mary Margaret piped up diplomatically. “It would be nice for someone to come along and sweep you off your feet though Emma because you deserve to be happy.”

Regina took a sideways glance at the blond who looked back before taking an awkward sip of her drink. The brunette wondered what her once arch nemesis would make of it all if it was Regina, the Evil Queen, who captured her daughter’s heart.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Emma POV**

 

Regina sleeps through the afternoon and comes down to find that Emma has prepared something for dinner and is washing dishes so her sleeves are rolled up. Regina see’s the tattoo.

 

By the time Emma had drove Regina back to her mansion it had been nearly one in the afternoon. The weakened brunette had been dead on her feet and Emma had aided her up the stairs and left her napping in bed. She had told her mother that it was too soon for Regina to leave the house but Mary Margaret had insisted. All the ‘fresh air will be good for her’ crap had turned out to be just that...crap. The trip out had nearly caused her to pass out.

That had been around four and a half hours ago as it was now creeping on for five thirty in the afternoon. David was dropping Henry off before six in time for dinner. It had left Emma time to nip out and go grocery shopping and prepare an evening meal for them. She was by no means a good cook but there were several things she had perfected with the help of Regina’s false memories in New York. A good roast was one of those meals so currently there was a pork belly, potatoes and vegetables cooking away in Regina’s fancy oven. It was only the gravy she had left to make and that didn’t require her attention until Henry arrived home and she was nearly ready to serve up. So Emma had turned her attention to clean the multitude of dishes and knives she had used to prepare the meal as well as her hot chocolate cup from earlier on.

Despite the fact their morning excursion had left Regina in lala land for the afternoon Emma had enjoyed herself. Regina had seemed to actually enjoy sitting with company and Emma’s little brother in the dinner. It had been good to see the brunette smile and look relaxed out in company like that. Usually in crowds Regina appeared even more tense than usual.

Emma imagined it must be difficult interacting with people you had previously tried to kill or curse and therefore didn’t like you. It was often hard for Emma to connect the Regina she knew with the Evil Queen from Henry’s book despite the fact she had butted heads with the woman plenty in the past. Even when Regina had been at her coldest before Emma broke the curse the blond could never have imagined Regina doing suck unspeakable things. Even now that she was well used to the fact fairytales were real she still couldn’t picture it. After seeing the lost and lonely teenager in the Enchanted Forest of the past Emma had started to really understand why though. Everyone always thought that Regina had gone to war with everyone else but Emma didn’t see it that way. She felt that Regina had actually gone to war with herself and civil wars were always more destructive. The people around her had been collateral damage.

That terrible self destruction the brunette had gone through made her current transfer from caterpillar back to butterfly even more remarkable. Regina was rebuilding herself from tiny jigsaw pieces slowly but surely with outside support but little outside aid. The brunette had obviously thought that Robin Hood my provide that aid because of Tinkerbelle’s pixie dust but now it appeared the dust may have been leading to Emma herself. There was nothing she wanted more than to help Regina rebuild and form a family with the two of them and Henry.

“Whatever you are cooking smells surprisingly good” a recognisable voice spoke up from behind the blond.

Emma had been so lost in thought that she had not heard the other woman approach so it shocked her to realise she was not alone. She jumped slightly causing soap suds to splash up her arms and up the wall behind the sink.

 

“Shit Regina!” she exclaimed. “Don’t creep up on me!”

There was a faint chuckle from behind Emma and Regina began to edge nearer to the sink. Emma only had the last two mugs to clean so she buried her hands into the soapy water to hunt them out. She was too distracted by her task to realise her sleeves where rolled up and therefore her arms uncovered.

“Did you sleep okay?” Emma asked as the brunette came to stand by the side of her. Regina casually leaned back against the counter so she was stood the opposite way to Emma. The brunette looked much brighter again, rather like she had when Emma had first arrived downstairs for breakfast this morning. She had also changed out of the clothes she had slept in and was now wearing comfortable black yoga pants and a loose fitting cream shirt which plunged down to reveal more bust than should be legal.

“Yes I feel a lot better now” Regina assured her. “That was a prime example of why I never usually listen to your mother. She...”

Regina’s voice trailed off suddenly and Emma glanced across at the older woman whilst she ran the cloth over one of the mugs. Regina’s eyes seemed to be firmly fixed on Emma’s working hands and it wasn’t until Emma followed the brunette’s gaze down that she realised why. Now she had pulled her hands out of the washing up water the soap had slid off and revealed the new magical tattoo she had oh so briefly forgotten about.

Emma instantly lifted her head to seek out the brunette’s eyes. What she saw there was hurt and fear. Regina seemed to be frozen to the spot and Emma could tell that her mind was coming up with all kinds of negative reasons why the tattoo’s existence had been hidden.

“Oh shit Regina...this...this is not what it looks like I...” Emma tried to explain but all she seemed to do was awkwardly fall over her words.

“When...how?” Regina cut in.

The brunette was rapidly closing herself off emotionally and her tone was bordering on robotic. It scared Emma a little but she used the dishcloth to dry her hands and stood her ground. The blond was rubbish at discussing feelings but she felt that if she answered Regina’s questions she may be able to lead into explaining herself a little more effectively.

“In the enchanted forest after I saved you and Snow White from Zelena” she confessed.

Regina nodded and looked down at the floor, avoiding the eye contact that Emma was desperately seeking to reassure the brunette. Regina looked so vulnerable and Emma hated the fact it was her who had made the older woman feel like that.

“An act of valour from a knight with noble blood” Regina mumbled only just loud enough to be audible to Emma.

“I guess so” Emma responded just as quietly before trying to engage with the cast down brunette. “Regina I...”

She only managed to get out two words before the brunette cut in. The other woman’s anguish ridden tone took her by surprise.

“No don’t...I understand” Regina pleaded. “After all I have done to your parents and to you...you must have been disgusted when you realised you had been marked in such a way.”

As soon as the words were out of Regina’s mouth the brunette was walking away. She was almost out of the kitchen before Emma even realised she was leaving, such was the effect that Regina’s words had on her. The brunette really was getting totally the wrong idea just as Emma had originally feared.

“What?!” Emma called out as she began to follow the other woman. “Regina no...”

The brunette was only walking away which meant that Emma covered the ground between them quickly at a jog. She reached Regina in the open hall in front of the stairs and grasped the brunette’s right arm hard enough to stop her and pull her around to face Emma. It was hard enough for Regina to grimace at her grip but Emma barely relaxed it in fear that the other woman would just walk away again before Emma could explain. Currently Regina was avoiding even looking at her and was instead staring at a patch of floor to the left of them.

“Regina I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want this to be about some stupid magical dust!” Emma desperately explained. She knew full well that if she didn’t make Regina understand now it would put the two of them back months in terms of their ‘relationship’. The thought of messing it all up made Emma utterly fraught. It was time for her to be brave and step up with her feelings just like she was capable of doing with her actions.

 “I want you to actually want me...not just feel like I had been chosen for you” Emma admitted, her voice softening as she spoke. “... I want to be your choice Regina.”

Finally Regina’s eyes snapped up to meet her own and in them Emma could see surprise which rapidly changed to an expression of blatant desire. Before Emma had time to process the sudden shift in the air between them the brunette’s lips came crashing urgently against her own. The sheer force of the contact nearly pushed Emma off balance but Regina’s arms followed through and wrapped around the blonde’s neck so quickly that Emma was pushed back and pulled forward too quickly to actually stumble. After a dazed couple of seconds Emma responded in kind and began to kiss Regina back, wrapping her arms around the lithe body of the brunette and pressing them closer together.     

It wasn’t quite how Emma had pictured their first kiss but then it didn’t surprise her that they would explode in a flash of desire that had previously been pent up for so long. She wasn’t about to complain at the ferocity of the kiss especially when Regina’s tongue ran along Emma’s lower lip and demanded entrance. The second their tongues glided against each other the brunette let out a low groan and buried her hands in Emma hair. The vibration of the groan against Emma’s tongue rocketed Emma’s desire yet further and her right had shifted to automatically seek out Regina’s left breast, kneading it through the flimsy material of Regina’s shirt and lacy bra.

The brunette’s hands drifted from Emma’s long hair and round to the top button of Emma’s own shirt without breaking the passionate kiss. Just as the top button was pooped open there was the distinctive sound of a key in the front door lock. A front door they were only stood a few metres away from.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I’m thinking about pushing the rating of this fic up to an M, what do you think? Please review, your feedback is like sunshine on a rainy day... :-p**

 


	28. Chapter 28

_It’s still T for now, but the rating will go up to M for the next chapter..._

 

**Chapter 28**

 

**_It wasn’t quite how Emma had pictured their first kiss but then it didn’t surprise her that they would explode in a flash of desire that had previously been pent up for so long. She wasn’t about to complain at the ferocity of the kiss especially when Regina’s tongue ran along Emma’s lower lip and demanded entrance. The second their tongues glided against each other the brunette let out a low groan and buried her hands in Emma hair. The vibration of the groan against Emma’s tongue rocketed Emma’s desire yet further and her right had shifted to automatically seek out Regina’s left breast, kneading it through the flimsy material of Regina’s shirt and lacy bra._ **

**_The brunette’s hands drifted from Emma’s long hair and round to the top button of Emma’s own shirt without breaking the passionate kiss. Just as the top button was pooped open there was the distinctive sound of a key in the front door lock. A front door they were only stood a few metres away from._ **

 

**Storybrooke – Henry POV**

 

Henry wrestled with the awkward lock one handed as he was grasping a heavy book in his right arm that his granddad Mr Gold had given him. It took several seconds before the key turned all the way around in the key hole and the door popped open. He expected to find an empty entrance hall in front of him so he actually jumped a little when he found both his mothers stood side by side only a couple of metres away. They were both stood staring at him and they appeared flustered. He had obviously interrupted something and he hoped it was something good and that the two of them were not fighting now his mom was in better health.

 “I’m not late am I?” he asked when they remained stationary.

“No!” Emma exclaimed a little quickly. “I was just telling your mom that dinner is nearly ready.”

Henry looked between the two of them. There was definitely more to the story than what his ma had just told him but he was too exhausted from all the physical work he had done in the main street to call them on it. Instead he focussed in on the fact Emma had obviously been the one to make their evening meal. It wasn’t like his mom to let someone else loose in her kitchen unless she was unconscious.

“You cooked?” he double checked, aiming his question at his blond mom.

“Yeah...a roast” Emma replied. Apparently she didn’t realise quite how privileged she was to be allowed to cook in his mom’s state of the art precious kitchen.

His brunette mom obviously sensed his confusion and carefully put her hand to the side of her head to gesture that she had been asleep. That certainly explained how Emma had been let loose in the kitchen and Henry had to suppress a smirk. The blond didn’t seem to notice the silent interaction and instead seemed more distracted by the slight rumbling of her own stomach.

 “Go set the dining room table up kid before we all starve!” she encouraged him. 

He resisted the urge to point out she was the only one starving and headed straight for the dining room table. He placed his book on his normal chair and found the table cloth. Once that was neatly positioned on the table he headed into the kitchen for cutlery. Regina was sorting them out some drinks whilst Emma awkwardly plated out the food. There was an odd sort of awkward silence whilst he was in there with them that he couldn’t quite place. It wasn’t like when they were at each other’s throats when Emma first came to town. At that point the atmosphere just felt frosty when they were in the same room. This had a totally different energy.

He headed back to the dining table and placed the knives and forks in their correct positions. His brunette mom followed him through with three glasses of her home made cider. Just as she placed them down Emma followed them in carrying all three plates. They were balanced rather precariously and Henry expected a sarcastic or scathing remark from him brunette mom but none came. Instead she sat down and mumbled a quiet ‘thanks’ when Emma placed the dish in front of her.

Henry removed the book from his seat and placed it, cover down, on the table next to his plate. Once he’d sat down Regina glanced at the book a couple of times before finally asking him about it.

“What is the book?” she asked with curiosity in her voice.

“The history of magic” Henry replied as he turned the book over so she could see the old brown leather cover. “Granddad gave it to me”

That much was probably obvious as it wasn’t the kind of thing anyone else in the town would own but Henry felt the need to explain as neither mom knew he had spent time with his other Granddad today as well as David.

“We finished fixing the signs about two hours ago so I told gramps it was okay if he went home to grandma and the baby and I hung out with Mr Gold and Belle for a bit” he informed them. “That’s who dropped me off.”

That was pretty much how it happened. They had been struggling to winch one of the large shop signs back into place so Henry had gone to get Mr Gold to use his magic to help. The older man had done so willingly although Henry suspected it was only because he had gone to ask and not anyone else. It was a very menial task for the Dark One to use their magic for but the people who had been previously struggling were very grateful and Henry’s granddad had been clearly surprised by the positive attention. That’s when David had said about taking Henry home early and Mr Gold and Belle had offered for him to stay with them for a bit until he was due home. Henry had spent most of those two hours talking to his granddad about his family history and the ogre wars. 

“That’s okay right?” Henry asked when he realised neither mom had commented. “Gramps thought it would be okay.”

“Of course dear” Regina piped up; “I didn’t realise you were that interested in magic?”

He had once feared magic especially when all he had really know was dark magic. He had seen it be used for good now by both of his moms and it had made him curious. There was also a chance that being Emma’s biological son he may have inherited some magical abilities too and if that ever became the case he wanted to really get to grips with it.

“I like hearing and reading stories about the Enchanted Forest and other realms and this book is full of them apparently” he half explained; “and both of you have magic so I’d like to try and understand it a bit more.”

Both his mom’s shared a lingering glance across the table and Henry watched with interest as he chewed on a mouthful of potato. They were actually smiling at each other, oblivious to his stares. Okay it was only subtle and not big jaw breaking smiles but it was progress. Henry was starting to feel more confident that his planned ‘Operation Parent Trap’ really didn’t need any assistance just like Mr Gold had suggested. They were sat around the dining table acting like one big happy family. It had only been a recently formed idea that him mom’s would make a good couple but sat watching them in this moment it felt like all he had ever wanted.

“He must have all sorts of weird and wonderful things in that shop of his” Emma suddenly spoke up as she broke her attention away from his other mom and scooped up some gravy veg on her fork.

“Yeah it’s kind of cool in there although some of the stuff is creepy” he admitted, the statue of the cursed Knight he had helped his granddad catalogue yesterday morning instantly coming to mind. Emma’s train had conversation had conveniently led him onto a topic he wanted to broach with them although he had no idea how Regina in particular would react.

“Actually I thought I could help out there at the weekends and Granddad said if it was okay with you guys I could work in the shop on a Saturday morning and earn some pocket money.”

There was a pause whilst the two women glanced at each other. Their eyes seemed to have a silent conversation and Regina shrugged at the blond in a way that suggested she didn’t mind before the brunette continued eating.

“As long as you are sensible around all the creepy stuff in there we’re down with that kid” Emma answered for both of them.

Henry had noticed them do something similar this morning when he had asked about helping out on the main street. They were making decisions together without any drawn out debate or arguing.

“What?” Regina asked.

Henry realised that he had been staring at her whilst he was thinking and he looked back down to his food quickly.  It was a convenient opportunity to test the waters about her current attitude towards Mr Gold. It could give Henry an idea of how she may react to the news that he was possibly her father.

“I just thought it might be a bit harder than that” he pressed, trying to draw a reaction from her. His brunette mom sighed and placed her knife and fork down.

“I’m the last person who can judge Rumpelstiltskin Henry” Regina admitted.

That wasn’t the angle Henry was aiming for as he had no desire to make his mom feel a fresh wave of guilt for her past actions. He backtracked quickly so he knew he wasn’t trying to judge her.

“I just thought with everything that’s happened between the two of you...” he trailed off, unsure where to actually go with the question. Emma was eyeballing him from across the table in a way that suggested he should drop the conversation. However it seemed that Regina had other plans.

“I do resent the way he used me but I also understand it because he was trying to get back his son” the brunette explained. “We’d have done anything...and pretty much did do everything in Neverland to get you back safe and sound so I understand where he was coming from.”

Henry nodded in understanding and focussed on the last half of his meal. He only had half an idea what had happened to his rescue party as they battled through Pan’s land to save him. They had told him some stories on the way home about Pan’s map, battling Lost Boys and his Gramps being poisoned by a toxic arrow. He was sure they had missed a lot of stuff out, for example he knew Regina must have ripped the heart out of the Lost Boy she used as a messenger and Emma must have allowed her to in order to communicate with him. Somehow he doubted Mary Margaret would have been happy with the act but Emma had always had more of an edge to her. He’d seen it in the way she had clashed with his mom as Sherriff.

What Regina’s explanation did mean was that she didn’t loath Mr Gold just like Henry expected. Resentment was nowhere near as strong as hate and if she could overcome it with Emma and the Charming’s then she could overcome it with him too.

Henry polished off the rest of his roast dinner before either of his mom’s had finished. It had been pretty good, not as good as Regina’s roast dinners but certainly tasty enough to eat without any complaints.  

“Is it okay if I get a shower and go to my room to make a start on this book?” he asked. “I’m pretty exhausted after today.”

“Of course dear” Regina replied.

Although she tried to not let it show Henry could see a tinge of disappointment that he wouldn’t be spending any time with her or them this evening. He really was too tired to stay up and watch a movie though and he thought it would be good for the two of them to spend some alone time together whilst they were both actually awake. 

“Maybe we could do something all together tomorrow morning?” He asked as he stood up to leave the table and picked the old book up.

His suggestion brought a broad smile to his brunette mom’s face which in turn made Emma’s face light up too.

“How about we start with breakfast at Granny’s?” the blond cheerfully suggested.

“Yeah I’d like that” Henry agreed.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke – Regina POV**

 

Regina and Emma had set themselves to different tasks after dinner. Emma was washing all the various roast trays and dishes even though Regina owned a dishwasher and the brunette had headed off to the utility room to put a wash on and iron some of the clothes that had been waiting to be sorted since before Zelena had gone running around the Enchanted Forest with her heart.

It hadn’t been a conscious effort to avoid the blond but Regina had been glad of the solitude for a short while so she could allow her head to catch up with their previous actions. Having feelings for Emma was not a new thing but acting on them and acting on them quite so passionately certainly was a new thing.

She had thought Robin attractive but had never in the short time she had known him felt a raging desire to rip his clothes off. She hadn’t even felt that way about Daniel but then again she’d been a naive seventeen year old girl back then so it was a hard comparison to make. She very much doubted he would elicit that kind of response in her now.  Her love for him had been a different type of emotion. He had been her safety net and he had grounded her. He was a wonderful and gentle distraction from the harshness of her mother. He was kind and she adored him for it. Perhaps he love for him had actually been quite selfish but it had been real. 

Emma provided some of the things Regina longed for. She provided companionship and family as well as the feeling that she would always fight for you. However the blond wasn’t an obvious choice and in many ways she was a complicated choice considering their own and family history. There was also the issue of Henry. He was in one sense the big plus for a relationship between them because a successful relationship would provide stability. There was also the very real possibility that like any relationship theirs could fail and he would be caught in the middle again. However Regina was surprisingly confident their little family could work out against all odds.

After about half an hour in the utility room and an equal amount of time tidying the study and the living room Regina was interrupted in her thought process by Emma emerging from the kitchen.

“All dishes washed, dried and in their correct places” the blond assured her as she entered the living room. “I cleaned up my mess and your beloved kitchen is now spotless again.”

Regina, who had been staring blankly at the book shelf, turned to face Emma. The blond was lingering in the doorway, her left shoulder casually leaning against the frame. The sleeves of Emma’s blue shirt were rolled up so the tattoo was clearly on show and her hair was pulled up into a loose ponytail. Regina was surprised at the way her heart fluttered at the blonde’s appearance even though she was dressed so simply. It seemed that now they had acted on their feelings, however briefly, the floodgates to her heart had opened and it felt impossible to shut Emma out.

The brunette felt drawn to the other woman and began to slowly walk across the room towards her. Regina’s destination was clear but she had no idea what she should do when she got there.

“I don’t really know what the procedure is now” Regina admitted as she came to a halt just in front of the blond. Her statement seemed to confuse Emma, something clearly given away by the blonde’s knitted brow.

 “We kissed and I don’t know if we are meant to talk about it now or cuddle up and watch a movie together...” Regina tried to explain; “...or if I should be undressing you and taking you to bed with me.”

The confusion disappeared from the blonde’s face and instead the expression was replaced by a mix of surprise and amusement. Emma quirked an eyebrow and although she was clearly trying to repress a smirk she failed.

“We should probably wait for Henry to be asleep before the latter” Emma quipped. “His bed room is only across the hall.”

Regina nodded awkwardly. The blonde’s humour may be settling her own nerves but it just made Regina anxious that she was saying or doing the wrong things. Emma quickly noticed how nervous she actually was and reached out to grasp both her arms just below her shoulders.  

“I’m not very experienced at this either Regina and there is no procedure” the blond assured her. “What do you want to do?”

What did she want to do? The question was in many respects a simple one but given their new set of circumstances it was a loaded question. Regina knew that they should try and talk about it. They should discuss Henry and how it may affect him. Regina wasn’t quite ready to delve into that can of worms quite yet. As tempting as it was to remove all Emma’s clothing and take her then and there Regina still didn’t feel one hundred percent and was quite sure she would disappoint and fall asleep on the blond. That only left one option.

“I know it’s still early but can we just go to bed?” she asked.

“Oh right...okay” Emma replied hurriedly, dropping her hands away from the brunette’s arms and to her sides. Regina could see instantaneously that the blond had misunderstood her intentions and thought Regina just wanted away from her. Emma looked incredibly disappointed and began to turn away.

“I’ll just go get a shower and check on Henry then” Emma mumbled as she moved. It took a few seconds for Regina to process what was happening before she could react.

“Emma wait!” she called out to the blond.

Emma angled her body back towards Regina but kept her eyes down and didn’t make eye contact with the brunette.

“I meant together” Regina explained. “After you’ve done those things we could curl up in bed together?”

Regina had meant for it to come out as a confident statement but instead it stumbled out as a shaky question. It had the desired effect though because Emma’s eyes darted back up to her own and the blond erupted into a jaw splitting smile.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke - Emma’s POV**

 

Regina’s request for Emma t join her in bed had certainly propelled the blond into taking a very quick shower. She had been washed, dried and dressed in pyjamas within twenty minutes with a bit of help from magic to dry her hair.

So after sticking her head in Henry’s room only to find him already fast asleep with his new book sprawled on top of his blanket covered chest she found herself stood outside the brunette’s bedroom door. The hairdryer had just been turned off and she could hear Regina moving around inside so she had obviously finished her shower but Emma didn’t want to just storm into the room in case the brunette wasn’t fully dressed yet. She raised her hands and tapped on the door lightly.

Emma could hear the faint sound of footsteps on carpet and then the door opened to reveal Regina. The brunette was clad in expensive looking lilac silk pyjamas. Even in her bedclothes Regina looked far more elegant than Emma who was wearing cheap and cheerful cotton blue chequered pyjamas.

“Hey” Emma greeted softly. “Henry is dead to the world already...I just had to remove the book Gold gave him from his sleeping grasp.”

Regina chuckled and opened the door wider to let Emma in. The blond stepped into the room and lingered between Regina and her large bed. The last time Emma had spent the night in the brunette’s bedroom Regina had been very weak and ill and needed taking care of. This occasion was very different and she didn’t know how to act. The main light was already turned off and the only light illuminating the room came from Regina’s bedside lamp. It gave the bedroom a romantic air.

“He was forever doing that when he was younger” Regina replied as she closed her bedroom door and stepped towards Emma.

The blond had faint memories of her and Henry’s fake life together when her son had done just that. Part of Regina’s ‘gift’ seemed to be real memories of growing up just with the brunette removed from them and Emma implanted in her place. Emma would never stop appreciating Regina’s act of kindness by the town line especially as she knew it must have emotionally destroyed Regina to do such a thing.

The brunette broke Emma out of her thoughts by gently grasping her wrist and drawing her towards the brunette’s bed. Emma watched as Regina neatly pulled back the blanket and folded it over giving them both room to climb inside.

“I usually sleep on the left if that is okay?” the brunette asked softly. It was a tone of voice Emma wasn’t used to the Mayor using. It was gentle and a little bit vulnerable. Regina needed reassurance.

“Sure” Emma agreed. “I usually sleep on the right anyway.”

Regina’s hand eased off its grip on her wrist and the brunette’s fingers danced against the inked skin of Emma’s wrist. The touch was so light it was ticklish.

“And I thought the tattoo was the only evidence of you being my soul mate” the brunette quipped.

The joke put Emma a little more ease and she broke out into a smile. Regina smiled back and the world seemed to stop briefly as the two of them stood facing each other at the edge of the brunette’s bed. Emma found it difficult to look anywhere but Regina’s chocolate eyes. They were shining in a way she hadn’t really witnessed before. Regina looked nervous but she also looked happy.

The moment was broken by the brunette nodding her head towards the bed so Emma complied and shifted onto the bed, crawling across to about half way where the blanket was folded back. Regina followed swiftly and lay on her side next to Emma. The brunette reached across Emma’s body and pulled the duvet over them both before reaching back to her bedside table and turning the bedside lamp off. It threw the room into near complete darkness except for the faint moonlight creeping in through the window which allowed the blond to see Regina’s outline.

Despite her nerve’s Emma reached out and wrapped her right arm around the brunette, encouraging Regina to shuffle closer to her so their bodies were in contact. The brunette obliged but instead of just nestling against the side of Emma like the blond had expected Regina draped her arm over the top of the blanket across Emma’s stomach and grasped her right hand. This meant that Regina was not only pressed against her but also half on top of her with the left side of Regina’s chest lying over the right side of Emma’s. The brunette’s head rested in the centre of Emma’s chest and just above her breasts. It was intimate and surprisingly comfortable. Regina obviously wasn’t going to be remotely heavy but Emma had expected her to be bony. However they seemed to fit together seamlessly. To Emma it felt not only comfortable but incredibly right.

They lay like that for several minutes in a comfortable silence. Regina had released Emma’s hand after a couple of minutes and was now tracing lazy patterns over the tattoo on Emma’s wrist. It was barely possible to make it out in the dark but the brunette seemed to know exactly where it was.

“What are you thinking?” Emma asked after minutes of Regina stroking the magical mark.

It had taken her a while to gather up the courage to ask, afraid she may ruin the moment. However she could virtually hear the cogs in Regina’s brain turning and she wanted to know a little of what was going on in the brunette’s extremely attractive head. Regina took a deep sigh and continued tracing patterns as she spoke.

“It’s funny how all the qualities I originally loathed you for are the qualities I have come to adore” the brunette stated before returning to silence again.

It wasn’t a lengthy explanation but Emma was quite confident she understood what Regina was referring too. The tattoo represented the side of her that she was destined to be. She had gained it by using all the same qualities that had at times made her successful in her role as ‘the saviour’. It was a side to her that Regina hadn’t appreciated very much when Emma was busy destroying the brunette’s curse. The two of them had seemed so far apart back then. It was remarkable how time and a joint cause had brought them inexplicably closer. So close in fact that Emma could feel Regina’s breath against her throat and the brunette’s heartbeat against her breast.

On an unusual and highly illegal date Neal had once tried to explain to seventeen year old Emma how home felt. After bouncing through the care system as a child she had never truly understood the concept so she had always taken what he had told her to heart.  He had said that ‘you don’t have a home until you just miss it’. She had spent her adult life striving towards that feeling and never found it. That’s why she had moved around so much in the period of ten years because she could never find that sensation he had described. She hadn’t ever really found it in Storybrooke either until everything she held dear was nearly ripped away from her. Her adventure into the past had made her realise that Storybrooke was indeed home and not just because her parents where there. Home didn’t have to be a place or a city it could be a person. Lying with Regina in her arms felt like home and Emma knew she couldn’t let the brunette go or she’d miss her like crazy.

“I like holding you like this” Emma admitted. It was a bit of a deflection from the brunette’s original topic but she sensed Regina had no plans to take it further tonight anyway. They would have to talk it over eventually.

“I like it too” Regina admitted.

The brunette’s voice was laced with sleep so Emma dropped an affectionate kiss onto the top of Regina’s head. The former evil queen let out a low contented moan and snuggled in impossibly closer. As the two of them started to drift off to sleep together Emma thought back to something else Neal had said this time as he lay dying in the woods. He had told her to find her happiness; her Tallahassee. She hoped he was able to look down on her from somewhere and be pleased for her that she had found it.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	29. Chapter 29

**Running Out Of Time**

 

**Chapter 29**

**Storybrooke - Rumpelstiltskin POV**

 

At just after 9.30 in the morning Mr Gold pushed open the door to Granny’s dinner and headed towards the counter. Belle was helping him finish catalogue the front of the shop today but had sent him on a morning coffee run. When he arrived at the counter Ruby greeted him with a terse nod.

“Can I have the usual please” he ordered politely.

“Of course” the waitress replied. She drifted away towards the back of the counter and the coffee machine.

Gold turned away from the counter and leant back on it. He hadn’t paid much attention to the rest of the dinner when he entered because as like any other Friday morning at this time it was relatively empty. There were a couple of tables taken near the door and at the back of the dinner the corner booth was taken up by Emma, Regina and his grandson. Henry was sat on one side of the booth facing out across the dinner and Emma and Regina were sat with their backs to him facing the wall. The three of them were too immersed in conversation to notice him.

He knew from Belle, who had seen Regina the day before; that the former Evil Queen was in good spirits and looking much better. He hadn’t seen Regina since the day he helped Emma move the unconscious brunette to Mifflin Street. So Regina certainly looked much better than the last time he had seen her.

It was Henry who spotted him first and the boy leapt to his feet and scurried across the dinner. Gold took a couple of steps toward him and they greeted each other with a light hug. It had suddenly become normal for the two of them to hug when they greeted each other and said goodbye. He could see the surprise on Regina’s face at the affection Henry was showing him but she quickly masked it.

“Hey granddad” Henry greeted as he pulled out of the hug and stood up straight again. Gold went to return the greeting but before he could speak Henry cut in again.

“Come say hello” he ordered. “Have you seen Mom? She’s looking much better.”

Henry tugged at his sleeve so Gold followed his grandson towards the booth. He found he was quite anxious about speaking to Regina now that he had finally admitted to both Henry and Belle that he may well be the brunette’s father.  

“Gold” Regina greeted a little awkwardly but amiably as he reached the table. It lacked any of the brunette’s usual bite and terseness which threw him even further of his guard.

“Regina It’s good to see you with a bit of colour in your cheeks again” he tried to make small talk.

For years the two of them had spent pretty much every conversation scrapping against each other. Small talk had never really been on the menu. They usually just sneered at each other and made sarcastic comments.

Henry shuffled into the booth and patted the empty seat next to him. Gold sat dawn and found himself face to face with the woman who could be his daughter. It was strange what a difference finally admitting the possibility made. He had spent years denying the fact and had convinced himself that Regina truly was the daughter of Prince Henry. It had been easier that way. It had alleviated any guilt he would have and should have felt in making his own daughter cast such a terrible curse.

“I haven’t had a chance to thank you yet for taking care of me whilst I was incapacitated…so thank you” Regina cut into his thoughts.

He smiled awkwardly in response and gazed down at the table. He had taken care of Regina because it had been asked of him. It had evolved into something more when he had allowed that niggling doubt about her parentage get a grip of him. Now he didn’t know how to take her gracious thank you without feeling like he was tricking her in some way. Obviously so much time with Baelfire occupying his body had improved him moral compass somewhat.

The thought of his lost son made him flinch but it also convinced him he needed to tackle the topic with Regina sooner rather than later. A cursory glance to his right at his grandson was enough for him to see Henry felt the same. Now was as good a time as any to mention it to her.

 “Regina there is something I need to talk to you about” Rumpel managed to spit out. Every word felt like it was fighting back with him.

“I’ve already given Henry permission to help you in the shop on Saturday mornings” the brunette woman casually replied.

Obviously she’d seen him and Henry share that look and presumed it was something to do with her and Emma’s son. The relaxed way in which she gave Henry permission was pleasing and briefly distracting. It was nearly enough to stop him taking the conversation any further for fear that she may suddenly change her mind and retract her permission. Another look from Henry prevented him backing down so he took a deep breath and tried to plough on.

“I know and that’s great but this is something about you not Henry” he informed her.

His words seemed to catch Regina’s attention and she sat up more rigidly than before. It was more reminiscent of her Mayor Mills days before the curse was broken. Even Emma seemed curious as to where the conversation was heading. She had been fiddling with her phone since he had sat down but she had now placed the phone down on the table and looked much more alert.

It was hard to think of a coherent and constructive way of telling Regina whilst three waiting eyes gazed at him with such intensity.

“I...I was wondering if you would take a test for me...when you are feeling better that is” he managed to force out. The whole situation was ridiculous really as he was the Dark One and the Dark One never usually stuttered.

“I was wondering if I cast a protection spell using blood magic could you try and break it down?” he finished the question.

The former Evil Queen stared back at him blankly before a look of uncomfortable dawning flashed across her face. He could tell she was caught between being surprised and angry with his request and what it meant.

“I thought only close family could break blood magic?” Emma broke the awkward silence which had formed around the table. Gold hadn’t even looked over at the blonde since asking Regina as the brunette held tense and uncomfortable eye contact with him. He was mildly surprised that the blond had even cottoned onto what he was talking about as she was notoriously dense when it came to anything magical in origin.

“Only close family CAN” Regina responded coolly before he had the chance to.

He finally dragged his eyes away from Regina and looked at Emma. She was intently focussed on Regina but glanced his way as she spoke again.

“So what are you saying?” she asked.

It was clear by her tone that she was pretty sure she already knew the answer but wanted clarification. Rumpel wondered if he should have been braver and led with the line ‘Regina I think I might be your father’ rather than just hinting at it. It was hard to know what to do for the best. When Regina remained deadly silent he tried to explain why he was having this sensitive conversation with her.

“I know this probably seems insane to you but I did a lot of thinking whilst you were unconscious and...”

“I need some air!” Regina cut in sharply. She had leapt to her feet before he or her other companions could protest and stormed towards the door of the diner.

Rumpel was frozen to the spot. He knew he was totally the wrong person to go after her so he stayed put whilst Emma scooted across the booth and onto her feet.

“Maybe Henry could help you in your shop this morning?” the blond suggested. There was no reproach in Emma’s voice but she was clearly concerned about Regina.

She waited long enough for him to nod in agreement before turning on her heels and jogging after Regina. It left him and Henry sat alone together.

“I don’t think I handled that very well” he said out loud.

Rumpel really regretted not leading into the conversation with a long explanation about the details of his and Cora’s past. He should have tried to break her into the news rather than just landing it on her like that. No matter how hard he tried or what Belle thought of him he really wasn’t very good at being good to people.

“She just needs time to think now” Henry quietly responded. His words were followed by a comforting hand on Rumpel’s arm. “Ma will calm her down and they can talk it over together.”

Mr Gold nodded blankly at the boy. He was sure Henry would criticize him for the way he had handled it and all the progress they had made would be lost. He had lost Baelfire; he couldn’t lose his grandson as well. 

“Your drinks are ready” Henry spoke up again, pointing towards the counter where Ruby stood waiting for him. The werewolf was trying to look anywhere but their booth so it would appear she was uninterested in the drama that had just occurred.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke - Emma POV**

 

“Regina wait!” Emma called out as her feet first hit the curb outside Granny’s. Regina was walking in the opposite direction of the bug and towards Mifflin Street. Gold had left strict instructions for Regina to avoid using magic for a couple of weeks to give her body time to heal but Emma was surprised that the brunette hadn’t just whisked herself away in a cloud of purple smoke given her rush to escape. On foot it was a good ten minute walk from Main Street and there was no way Emma was letting her hike back when she still wasn’t feeling a hundred percent.

Luckily the brunette chose to listen to her and halted. She remained with her back to Emma but it gave the blond the chance to catch up with her. She could she Regina’s shoulders heaving as she approached. It was no surprise the brunette was having an adverse reaction to what Mr Gold had just tried to inform them. However when Emma reached Regina’s side she realised the brunette was in the midst of a panic attack and not just upset.

“Regina breath” she instructed as she stepped in front of the brunette and placed the palm of her right hand on the older woman’s chest.

“Breath?!”  Regina exclaimed, stepping away from the contact. “Emma don’t you understand what he is suggesting?! He thinks he might be my father!”

Emma resisted reaching out again or stepping into the brunette’s personal space. It was clear Regina was irritated and needed some room; smothering her would only wind her up more. Instead Emma remained around a metre away from the brunette as Regina brought her own breathing under control. Once her gasps became less rapid Emma pressed on with the topic as delicately as possible. The brunette was still not feeling one hundred percent and this was quite a shock. Emma feared if Regina didn’t calm down then she would pass out.

“Is it possible?” the blond asked.

Regina ran her hands roughly through her hair in response to the question. Even though she no longer appeared to be having a panic attack the brunette was visibly very stressed. When she spoke again her voice was emotional and raspy.

“Something happened between him and my mother but I don’t really know the details. I just know he helped her find the magic within herself and she tricked him out of the deal they made.”

Emma found herself gradually edging towards Regina as the brunette spoke so they were stood only a foot apart. It was taking a lot of self control not to reach out for Regina again but they were in public and Emma didn’t want to make the brunette and more uncomfortable than she clearly already was. So Emma tried to direct her focus onto Regina’s story.

“What deal?” the blond asked.

“He taught her how to spin gold out of straw so she could marry the Prince...my...father” Regina replied stiffly.

It suddenly hit Emma that this story was the fairytale that Rumpelstiltskin was famous for. She had never been a huge fan of fairytales as a child and she had merely skim read Henry’s book, only really paying attention to the sections about the curse and the saviour. The one thing Emma could recall about the story though was the bit about the first born.

“In return she was meant to give him her child” Emma said out loud. Zelena had been Cora’s firstborn but then nobody had known about Zelena at the time. That meant the child in question was Regina.

“She was meant to give him you?!” Emma exclaimed.

“Yes but she wriggled out of it somehow” Regina tried to explain. “It’s why he was so weary of the possibility of her arriving in Storybrooke and causing havoc.”

In Emma’s experiences of Rumpelstiltskin she had never known him to be outdone by anyone. The closest Emma had come to making him rescind a deal was when she agreed to make a new deal with him so that Ashley’s was null and void. That was hardly the same as tricking him. Having met Cora and got up close with her Emma was not surprised that the fearsome woman had been the one to succeed where others had failed.

“Are you going to try his blood magic test?” she asked.

 There was a flicker of something dark in Regina’s eyes but it passed to quickly for Emma to read. It was the only reaction her question received and the brunette remained silent and deep in thought. Emma wished she could read Regina’s mind right now so she could understand what was swirling around the older woman’s head.

“Don’t you want to know?” she pressed the contemplative brunette.

“Would you want to know if he was your father?” Regina snapped in response. “Emma that man tore me to shreds one piece at a time all to create someone to cast his precious curse. Why did he do that? To find his long lost son. He thought he might be my father but he clearly pushed that aside because I wasn’t as important as your ex-boyfriend.”

Suddenly Emma recognised the flash she had seen across the brunette’s eyes just moments before. Regina’s tone and expression was something Emma had been used to back when they had first met but it had been a while since she’d had it directed at her. Ever since the curse had broken if the two of them clashed it had been a more emotional and irrational affair like of Regina’s driveway when Emma had accused the brunette of killing Archie. This kind of cold and dark attitude was decidedly pre the breaking of the curse. It made Emma feel uncomfortable and she reached out to the brunette to try and ground her again. However before she could reach Regina’s arm the brunette’s hands were suddenly grasping the lapels of Emma’s open blue leather jacket.

The action dragged Emma closer again to the brunette so they were nose to nose. When Emma’s eyes met Regina’s eyes she was relieved to see that her facial expression had shifted away from anger and towards something for less dangerous and she was beginning to shake. Regina was emotionally in pain and she was scared. She was looking to Emma for comfort despite their very public location. Not that Emma had noticed anyone pass them by but then she was totally focussed on the woman she was stood with.

“Regina...” Emma mumbled the brunette’s name as she wrapped her arms around the back of the trembling woman and pulled her as close as possible. The brunette responded by releasing Emma’s lapels, wrapping her arms around Emma’s shoulders and burying her hands in the blonde’s long hair.

“I’ve never been good...enough for anyone” Regina whispered, her voice breaking mid sentence as she tried to contain her emotions.

Emma didn’t know the whole of Regina’s history but she knew enough about the brunette’s domineering mother to know Cora was the root of this irrational feeling. For a woman who usually outwardly showed so much steel Regina had a lot of confidence issues. If only the brunette could see herself how Emma saw her.

Before Emma had the chance to tell her the door to the shop they were stood on the pavement outside opened. The sound seemed to remind Regina where exactly they were having this conversation.

“Please take me home” she choked out.

The older woman sounded so desperate that Emma decided to forsake a more normal method of transport. She kept her arms wrapped around Regina and thought of the brunette’s home at Mifflin Street. Her power rose quickly to match the depth of her emotion and they were enveloped by the blue fog of Emma’s magic. When it cleared they were stood in Regina’s foyer.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

**Storybrooke - Regina POV**

Regina was stunned to find that she now stood in her own home and not the middle of Main Street. Emma has told her that she had used quite a lot of magic during her time in the Enchanted Forest but transportation was pretty advanced stuff for a person who only two weeks before had been unable to do a damn thing. She had expected Emma to lead her to the yellow bug and drive her home. The fact the blond had abandoned her car in a rush to comply with Regina’s wishes was typically selfless of her. Regina really didn’t feel like she deserved such kindness after snapping at the younger woman. It wasn’t Emma’s fault that any of this was happening after all.

“I’m sorry I got angry” Regina apologised as she buried her face further into the blonde’s shoulder.

Emma hadn’t appeared to be hurt by her little outburst but she still felt guilty. She was also scared that Emma would be reminded of whom and what she was and run away from whatever it was that seemed to be forming between them. Regina no longer had the energy to even pretend to herself that she didn’t want Emma. After waking up safe and warm in the blonde’s arms again this morning it had become clear in her own mind that this was what she wanted her future to look like. She wanted to wake up every morning with Emma and cook breakfast for the two of them and Henry. She wanted 108 Mifflin Street to be their family home.

“Regina your reaction was no different than any other person would act” the blond assured her, pulling Regina back from her thoughts. “Everyone feels anger from time to time.”

Regina pulled back out of the blonde’s embrace so they were stood face to face, with Emma’s hands resting on Regina’s shoulders. The brunette allowed herself to gaze openly at the younger woman who seemed to have no intensions of running from her. Emma’s alluring blue eyes remained fixed on her and Regina felt her stomach flutter at the look of adoration the blond aimed her way. The feeling inside Regina’s stomach was so intense that she had to press the palm of her left hand against the blue dress she was wearing to try and steady herself.

“You are good enough you know” Emma softly spoke up, obviously referring to the comment Regina had made just moments before on Main Street. “You and Henry are all I want and all I need.”

As the blond spoke her hands grazed down Regina’s arms and grasped her hands. The blonde’s thumb gently grazed across her knuckles. The feeling grounded Regina more than her own hand had managed pressed against her stomach. It had been years since Regina had felt such tenderness and she closed her eyes at the sensation. Each stroke of Emma’s thumb felt like it was stoking a fire in her chest especially when coupled with the blonde’s words. They held the kind of sentiment that Regina had only heard from one other many years before. 

Regina had felt a magnetic pull towards Emma yesterday evening in the same lobby when the blonde had admitted to having feelings for her. In that moment she had reacted with a flash of hot burning passion. There was a similar magnetic pull now which drew her even closer to the blond so that their bodies were pressed together, their hands still entwined. She edged forward again pressing Emma’s back against the closest wall.

Regina nuzzled at the younger woman’s cheek, enjoying the feeling of smooth skin against smooth skin and the sensation of Emma’s warm breath on her jaw. Emma continued to embrace both of Regina’s hands in her own.  In such close proximity to the blond Regina felt a sensation overload, her body making it very clear how she wanted to spend the rest of the morning. 

“I want to kiss you” she whispered into Emma’s ear.

The blonde’s breath hitched in response to her words and then again as Regina trailed her lips down and across the younger woman’s cheek until she reached the corner of Emma’s lips. She placed a soft kiss there before wriggling her left hand out of Emma’s grasp and reaching up to cup the blonde’s chin. Once her hand was in place she used it to gently draw Emma’s lips to her own and she grazed her lips across the blonde’s.

“Then kiss me” Emma murmured as Regina placed a soft kiss on the other corner of the blonde’s mouth. The younger woman reached up with her freed right hand and buried it in Regina’s hair, tugging slightly to encourage more contact.

The brunette gently pressed her lips against Emma’s in an open mouthed kiss and the younger woman instantly responded. After several soft kisses Regina ran her tongue along Emma’s bottom lip before delving inside and exploring the blonde’s mouth. The kiss was slow, unlike their previous encounter, giving both of them the chance to explore what each other liked. Regina duly noted that the blond would moan a little bit every time Regina stroked the flat of her tongue against the side of Emma’s and when Regina drew the blonde’s lower lip into her mouth and nibbled on it.

After a couple of minutes Regina pulled back from the kiss and ran her hands down Emma’s sides then back up again. On the way up she trailed her thumbs over the blonde’s shirt clad breasts causing Emma to tilt her head back against the wall and gasp.

“I want to kiss you and I want you touch you” Regina leant forward and moaned into Emma’s ear as she repeated the movement with her thumbs again. The blond gasped a little louder the second time.

Regina ran her hands under the lapels of the blonde’s open leather jacket and eased it over her shoulders and down her arms. When the blond was free of the garment Regina tossed it in the general direction of the coat rack without looking. She was unconcerned if it reached the target or not.

As soon as the jacket was disposed off their lips found each other’s again in a deep and sensual kiss. Their tongues duelled slowly as Regina’s hands began to explore the curves of Emma’s body over her shirt. Although technically it was over Regina’s shirt as Emma was wearing the emerald top Henry had  leant to her during the first week she was in Storybrooke. Emma had found it in the wardrobe before they went to Granny’s and wore it as a sort of joke. Regina had been surprised that their son hadn’t commented but then perhaps he thought Emma just hadn’t brought many clothes with her.

Regina eased her hands under the shirt and scraped her nails against the lower end of the blonde’s ribcage. Emma moaned into the kiss so Regina repeated the action and gained the same response. Obviously the younger woman liked it a little bit rough; something Regina was unsurprised and pleased by.

She pulled out of the kiss as oxygen was becoming short in supply and the two of them gasped against each other’s necks. When Regina caught enough breath back to speak she tilted her head so her lips were close to the blonde’s ear again.

“I want to kiss you, I want to touch you and I want to taste you” she murmured before trailing her tongue from the shell of Emma’s ear and down her neck. When she reached the patch where neck and shoulder met Regina nipped at the soft skin there.

“Oh god...” Emma half moaned half called out and before Regina realised what was happening the blond had swung her round so she was now pressed between Emma and the wall. Before Regina could utter a word in complaint Emma’s mouth crashed into hers again. The kiss was no longer sensual and slow but was rapid and passionate. It could probably be best described as desperate; as where the blonde’s hands which wrestled with the zipper at the back of Regina’s dress.

As soon as the zip was down as far as it would go at bottom of Regina’s spine Emma’s hands moved under the skirt part of the dress and pushed it up to the brunette’s hips. As Emma’s hands roamed over the exposed skin on the outside of Regina’s thighs her teeth nipped playfully at Regina’s lower lips. It was just hard enough for it to hurt a little but not so hard that it wasn’t pleasurable.

Regina’s hands had been wrapped around Emma’s neck but now she slipped them between herself and the blond and began to undo the shirt buttons. It was a hard task to concentrate on whilst Emma’s mouth was so hot against hers but after several seconds of awkwardly fumbling she managed to open all the buttons.

“Upstairs” she instructed between kisses.

The blond complied and began to back towards the stairs whilst continuing to kiss Regina. They even managed to get up several steps whilst remaining lip locked until Emma mistimed her step and tumbled over so she was sat on the stairs. Regina was too turned on to let it halt their progress so she followed the blond down and straddled her lap and resumed their kiss.

They both managed to kick of their shoes and there were several thuds as Emma’s converse and Regina’s heels bounced their way down some of the stairs. Regina grabbed the emerald shirt and removed it from the blonde’s body and shoved it to the side somewhere. Her dress swiftly followed as Emma managed to pull it off over her head without ripping it. Regina used the break in their kissing to scramble back to her feet and pull the blond with her. The two of them stumbled up the last few steps and onto the landing before resuming their kiss.

Luckily Regina’s room was the first door on the right and Emma managed to back her into the room without any more mishaps. The door closed itself behind them as Regina set to work on the button and zip of Emma’s skinny jeans. It was easy enough to unfasten them but removing them took significantly more effort as they seemed to fit the blond like a second skin. In the end Emma had broken the kiss and virtually ripped them off herself, taking her socks with them.

Once they were both stood in their underwear Regina guided Emma back and onto the bed so that Emma was lying on her back and Regina was straddling her again. After a few moments of just gazing at each other, desire evident in both their eyes, Emma sat up so they were face to face and kissed her slowly but deeply. As they kissed they both reach around the back of the other and unclasped their bras. Regina was the first to succeed and as they freed each other from the last of the garment’s covering their torso’s they pulled out of the kiss and leant back slightly; enough to admire each other.

Emma reached out with the hand she wasn’t using to balance herself and caressed the underneath of Regina’s breast before catching the brunette’s nipple between forefinger and thumb and tugging lightly. Regina couldn’t hold back a whimper and she arched into the touch. Encouraged by her reaction Emma began to try and turn them so she was on top but Regina reached out and pressed her hand against the blonde’s sternum to still her.

“No” she breathlessly instructed, her voice betraying how emotionally charged she felt. “I told you I want to taste you.”

Dirty talk was definitely something that turned the blond on and Emma slammed her eyes shut and pressed her hips upward in response. Regina ground down against the contact and they both moaned in unison. Emma allowed herself to be lowered back down against the bed and Regina began to trail kisses down the brunette’s neck and over her shoulders. When she reached the blonde’s breasts she stopped to lavish some attention with her mouth firstly on Emma’s right nipple and then her left. After making the blond writhe underneath her for a couple of minutes as she swirled her tongue around, sucked and nipped on both nipples she trailed kisses down Emma’s stomach until she reached the elastic of Emma’s boy shorts.

She grasped the elastic and started to slowly draw them down the blonde’s, following them down the younger woman’s left thigh with a trail of kisses. Once the underwear was tossed off to the side of the bed somewhere Regina kissed her way back up Emma’s right thigh stopping just before she reached the blonde’s sex. She could smell and see how much Emma wanted her.

She looked up at the blond to make sure she was comfortable with what was about to happen and met Emma’s very dilated blue eyes. The younger woman was panting with need, her breast rising and falling at a rapid but regular rhythm. 

“You are so beautiful” Regina uttered.

She spread the blonde’s folds with her right hand and took an exploratory lick from Emma’s core right up to her clitoris before circling the bundle of nerves. The blonde’s hips jerked upward at the sensation and Emma’s right hand buried itself in Regina’s hair whilst her left groped out for Regina’s right hand, their fingers entwining.

It was the most intimate position Regina had ever been with anyone, her past experiences being more about sex than making love to someone; so she took a few seconds to slowly savour the moment. She ran her tongue slowly through Emma’s folds several times, enjoying the taste of the blond before focussing on the task of pleasuring her.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


End file.
